File No. _________________


                       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

                 COMPANIA DE LUZ ELECTRICA DE SANTA ANA (CLESA)
                        (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 Compania de Luz Electrica de Santa
Ana, S.A. ("CLESA"), located in El Salvador. CLESA is the owner of an electrical
distribution  company  which  serves  188,000  customers  in and  around  the El
Salvadoran City of Santa Ana.

         CLESA is an  indirectly,  70.87  percent  owned  subsidiary  of The AES
Corporation. The remaining 20.13 percent of CLESA is owned indirectly through an
El  Salvadoran  trust by CLESA  employees  at  approximately  15 percent  and by
Comision Ejecutiva Hidroelectrica Del Rio Lempa, the local governmental utility,
at five  percent.  The  government-owned  shares are  expected to be sold on the
local exchange in the near future.

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 : __________________________

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


Dated :  February 13, 1998