
                                              
                                              Exhibit No. 5.01
                                                                 
May 20, 1998

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549

Re:  1,124,674 shares of Common Stock of Northern States Power
     Company, a Minnesota Corporation.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      I  am  participating  in the proceedings  incident  to  the
proposed  issuance by Northern States Power Company, a  Minnesota
corporation (the "Company"), of up to 1,124,674 shares of  Common
Stock, par value $2.50 per share (the "shares"), pursuant to  the
Company's  Dividend  Reinvestment and Stock  Purchase  Plan  (the
"Plan").  I have examined all records, instruments, and documents
which I have deemed necessary to examine for the purposes of this
opinion,  including the Registration Statement on  Form  S-3,  as
amended,  relating to the Plan previously filed  by  the  Company
pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933.

      Based  upon  the foregoing and upon my general  familiarity
with the Company and its affairs, I am of the opinion:

     1.   That the Company is a duly organized and validly existing
          corporation under the laws of the State of Minnesota and 
          that it is legally qualified and authorized to operate 
          and conduct business in the State of Minnesota.

     2.   When,  as  and if the shares have been duly issued  and
          delivered, and the consideration for the shares has been
          duly received by the Company, all in the manner 
          contemplated by said Registration Statement, the shares 
          will be legally issued, fully paid, and nonassessable 
          shares of stock of the Company.

      I  hereby consent to the incorporation of this opinion into
said  Registration Statement and the reference to  me  under  the
heading "Experts" in said Registration Statement.

Respectfully submitted,


/s/
Gary R. Johnson
Vice President and General Counsel

