<ARTICLE>                                              UT

<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
September 30, 2000 Financial Statements included in Alliant Energy Corporation's
Form 10-Q and is  qualified  in its  entirety  by  reference  to such  Financial
Statements.


<CIK>     0000352541
<NAME>     ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
<MULTIPLIER>     1,000


                                                   
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                  9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                         DEC-31-2000
<PERIOD-START>                                            JAN-01-2000
<PERIOD-END>                                              SEP-30-2000
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                 PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                   3,116,372
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                 2,281,298
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                        485,774
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                      208,202
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                255,795
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                              6,347,441
<COMMON>                                                          790
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                     946,687
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                         1,130,685 
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                              2,078,162
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                          24,650
<PREFERRED>                                                    89,102
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                        1,591,859
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                             35,034
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                      55,100
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                412,755
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                  92,704
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                           0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                    17,365
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                               12,075
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                              1,938,635
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                               6,347,441
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                   1,851,837
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                          213,879 
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                  1,563,259
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                  1,563,259 
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                       288,578
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                            395,634  
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                684,212 
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                      127,452
<NET-INCOME>                                                  342,881 
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                     5,035
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                 337,846
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                      118,475
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                     145,490
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                        360,237
<EPS-BASIC>                                                      4.28
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                    4.27


<F1> Includes $333,850 of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income.

<F2> Income tax expense is not included in Operating Expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

<F3>Includes $16,708 of Cumulative Effect of a Change in Accounting Principle, Net of Tax.

<F4> Includes $321,349 of Gain on Reclassification of Investments.