File No. _________________

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C.

                                    FORM U-57

                 NOTIFICATION OF FOREIGN UTILITY COMPANY STATUS

                        Filed under section 33(a) of the

             Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended

                             TAU POWER HOLDINGS B.V.
                        (Name of foreign utility company)

                               THE AES CORPORATION
    (Name of filing company, if filed on behalf of a foreign utility company)



ITEM 1

     Foreign  utility status is claimed by Tau Power Holdings B.V. ("Tau Power")
located in the province of East Kazakhstan,  Kazakhstan.  Tau Power is the owner
and operator of two  hydro-electric  stations ("GES") and four combined heat and
power stations  ("TETS").  The total electric  capacity of the stations is 1,384
MW, with additional thermal capacity of over 1,000 MW electric  equivalent.  The
power stations are the 332 MW Ust-Kamenogorsk GES, the 702 MW Shulbinsk GES, the
240 MW  Ust-Kamenogorsk  TETS, the 50 MW Leninorgorsk  TETS, the 50 MW Swogrinsk
TETS and the 10 MW Semipalatinsk  TETS. Tau Power also has ownership and control
of the retail sales  department  of the former  utility in East  Kazakhstan  and
assumed the existing  power supply  contracts  with the 50 largest  customers in
East  Kazakshstan,  including the  distribution  companies.  85% of Tau Power is
owned by AES Global Power Holdings,  B.V., and 15% by Suntree Power, Ltd. Global
Power Holdings B. V. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Power Holdings C.V.,
which is a subsidiary of the AES Corporation.



ITEM 2

         Not Applicable.

EXHIBIT A

         Not Applicable.

         The undersigned  company has duly caused this statement to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                    By:   /s/ William R. Luraschi
                           ---------------------------
                           William R. Luraschi
                           General Counsel
                           The AES Corporation
                           1001 N. 19th Street
                           Arlington, Virginia 22209
                           (703) 522-1315




Dated:     October 2, 1997