
                      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)     DECEMBER  22,  1998
                                                            -------------------

                        NORTHERN  STATES  POWER  COMPANY
                        --------------------------------
          (Exact  name  of  registrant  as  specified  in  its  charter)


                                    MINNESOTA
                                    ---------
               (State  or  other  jurisdiction  of  incorporation)


               1-3034                                             41-0448030
          ----------------                                      -------------
       (Commission  File  Number)            (IRS Employer  Identification  No.)


 414  NICOLLET  MALL,  MPLS,  MN                                        55401
 -------------------------------                                        -----
(Address  of  principal  executive  offices)                         (Zip  Code)


Registrant's  telephone  number,  including  area  code            612-330-5500
                                                                    ------------

     (Former  name  or  former  address,  if  changed  since  last  report)

<PAGE>

ITEM  5.          OTHER  EVENTS
--------          -------------

     On  December    22,  1998,  NSP's  subsidiary, NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG), sold
one-half  of  its 50 percent interest in Enfield Energy Centre Ltd. (EECL) to an
affiliate of El Paso International for approximately $26.2 million, resulting in
an  after-tax  gain  to  NRG  of  approximately  $16.6  million.  This gain will
increase NSP's fourth quarter earnings by approximately 11 cents per share.  NRG
continues  to  hold  a  25  percent  interest  in  EECL.
Other  details  are  contained  in  the  news release attached as Exhibit 99.01.

ITEM  7.          FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS  AND  EXHIBITS
--------          ------------------------------------

(c)    EXHIBITS

Exhibit
  No.                    Description
-----                    -----------

 99.01                    December  28,  1998  News  Release  from  NRG

                          SIGNATURES
                          ----------


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.

                                                Northern  States  Power  Company
                                                (a  Minnesota  Corporation)
 


                                                By          /s/
                                                     -------------------
                                                     John  P.  Moore,  Jr.
                                                     Corporate  Secretary

Dated:    December  29,  1998
          -------------------
<PAGE>
