8-K

                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C. 20549


                                  FORM 8-K

                              CURRENT REPORT 

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                    the Securities Exchange Act of 1934



             Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

                             February 13, 1996


                           TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




          FLORIDA                       1-5007              59-0475140
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission file       (IRS Employer 
     of incorporation)                  Number)         Identification No.)



     702 North Franklin Street, Tampa Florida                 33602
     (Address of principal executive offices)              (Zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (813) 228-4111



















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Item 5.   Other Events


               See  the  Press  Release  dated  February 15, 1996, filed as
          Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference, describing the
          filings  with the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) by the
          Office  of  Public Counsel and the Florida Industrial Power Users
          Group,  which  protest the FPSC's order of proposed agency action
          on the deferral in 1996 of revenues under certain circumstances. 












































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Item 7.   Financial Statements and Exhibits

           (C) Exhibits

               99.1 Press Release dated February 15, 1996.
















































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                            SIGNATURE



     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.




Dated:    February 15, 1996             Tampa Electric Company



                                   By:/s/ E. A. Townes        
                                          E. A. Townes
                                          Assistant Controller


                                          
































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                        INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit No.    Description of Exhibits                 Page No.

     99.1      Press Release dated February 15, 1996        6















































                                        Page 4

EX-99.1

                                                             Exhibit 99.1    


               (Tampa Electric Company letterhead)


                                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


          Contact:  Mike Mahoney
                    Office:813-228-4271
                    Home:813-991-6229


          TAMPA ELECTRIC'S REVENUE PROPOSAL
          RECEIVES PROTEST


               TAMPA,  Feb.  15, 1996 -- Florida's Office of Public Counsel
          (OPC)  and  the Florida Industrial Power Users Group (FIPUG) have
          protested  the order approving proposed agency action issued last
          month  by  the  Florida  Public  Service  Commission  (PSC). As a
          result, this order will not become final and go into effect.

               Under  its  terms, Tampa Electric would have agreed for 1996
          to  hold  subject  to  the  PSC's jurisdiction 50 percent of any
          revenues  contributing  to  a return on equity in excess of 11.50
          percent  up  to  12.50  percent,  and 100 percent of any revenues
          contributing to a return on equity exceeding 12.50 percent. These
          revenues  then  would  have  been subject to PSC jurisdiction for
          disposition  to  be determined in a future regulatory proceeding.
          Among  other  things,  the  intervenors  challenge the ROE levels
          contained  in  the  proposed action and how actual ROE S would be
          calculated.

               Said Tampa Electric President Keith Surgenor, "Our objective
          is to use deferred revenues to help hold down customers' electric
          bills  after  Tampa  Electric's  new state-of-the-art Polk Power
          Station  comes into service late this year. We intend to continue
          our  efforts  to accomplish this objective on terms that are fair
          to our customers and shareholders." 


                                       - more -

                                        Page  6
                                                             Exhibit 99.1    



               As  a result of the protests and the PSC's order last month,
          Tampa  Electric will continue to defer in 1996, as it had done in
          1995,  revenues contributing to an ROE above 12.75 percent unless
          this  level  is  changed  as  a  result  of  PSC  hearings  or by
          agreement.  The  deferred  revenue  plan  for  calendar year 1995
          previously approved by the PSC remains unaffected by the proposal
          currently under protest.
               
               Tampa  Electric  is  a regulated public utility serving over
          one-half million customers in a 2,000 square mile service area in
          west  central  Florida.    It is the principal subsidiary of TECO
          Energy,  Inc., a diversified, energy-related holding company also
          headquartered in Tampa.


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