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| CLECO CORPORATION |  EXHIBIT  12(a) |
|-------------------|----------------------|

|                                                                                |   | FOR      THE THREEMONTHS      ENDED |   |    | FOR      THE TWELVE MONTHS      ENDED |   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------|--------|---------|--------------------------------------------|--------|
| (THOUSANDS,      EXCEPT RATIOS)                                                     |   | MARCH      31, 2009                 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations                                            |   | $                                   | 6,650  |    |                                       | $      | 86,719 |   |
| Undistributed      equity income from investees                                     |   |                                | 11,751 |    |                                       |   | 17,825 |   |
| Income      taxes                                                                   |   |                                | 1,326  |    |                                       |   | 14,723 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes                        |   | $                                   | 19,727 |    |                                       | $      | 119,267 |   |
| Fixed      charges:                                                                 |   |                                |   |    |                                       |   |   |   |
| Interest, long-term      debt                                                       |   | $                                   | 16,944 |    |                                       | $      | 51,043 |   |
| Interest, other (including      interest on short-term debt)                        |   |                                | 3,784  |    |                                       |   | 25,717 |   |
| Amortization of debt expense,      premium, net                                     |   |                                | 588    |    |                                       |   | 2,280 |   |
| Portion of rentals      representative of an interest factor                        |   |                                | 121    |    |                                       |   | 524 |   |
| Total      fixed charges                                                            |   | $                                   | 21,437 |    |                                       | $      | 79,564 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes                        |   | $                                   | 19,727 |    |                                       | $      | 119,267 |   |
| Plus:  total fixed      charges from above                                |   |                                | 21,437 |    |                                       |   | 79,564 |   |
| Plus:  amortization of      capitalized interest                          |   |                                | 102    |    |                                       |   | 407 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes and fixed      charges |   | $                                   | 41,266 |    |                                       | $      | 199,238 |   |
| Ratio      of earnings to fixed charges                                             |   |                                | 1.92   |  x |                                       |   | 2.50 |  x |
| Total      fixed charges from above                                                 |   |                                | 21,437 |    |                                       |   | 79,564 |   |
| Preferred      stock dividends                                                      |   |                                | 14     |    |                                       |   | 54 |   |
| Total      fixed charges and preferred stock dividends                              |   |                                | 21,451 |    |                                       |   | 79,618 |   |
| Ratio      of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock      dividends |   |                                | 1.92   |  x |                                       |   | 2.50 |  x |

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