<TABLE> <S> <C>
                                                                      
                                                                            
<ARTICLE>                                                                  UT
<LEGEND>
This schedule  contains  summary  financial  information  extracted from Central
Maine Power Company's Consolidated  Statement of Earnings,  Consolidated Balance
Sheet and Consolidated  Statement of Cash Flows and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                                         1
<CURRENCY>                                       U.S. Dollars
                                                  
<S>                                              <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                    9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                   JAN-1-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                     SEP-30-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                      2
<BOOK-VALUE>                                     Per-Book
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                   $1,074,134
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                    $52,291
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                        $171,832
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                      $907,427
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                 $18,546
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                              $2,224,230
<COMMON>                                                      $162,213
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                     $257,338
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                            $62,627
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                $482,178
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                          $27,910
<PREFERRED>                                                    $35,571
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                          $263,172
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                             $80,000
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                           $0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                      $0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                 $291,293
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                           $0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                    $31,473
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                $1,742
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                              $1,010,891
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                               $2,224,230
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                     $693,410
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                           $18,371
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                    $613,397
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                    $631,768
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                        $63,457
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                              $7,662
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                 $71,119
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                       $38,043
<NET-INCOME>                                                   $33,076
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                     $3,890
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                  $29,186
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                       $21,915
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                      $17,866
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                         $18,595
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                     0.90
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                     0.90
        
 



</TABLE>