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**EXHIBIT 12(a) **

**CLECOCORPORATION**

**Computationof Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges andPreferred Stock Dividends**

**(Unaudited)**

|                                                          |                                                          |  For the      |              | For the      |              |  For the |            |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|---------------|------------|
|                                                          |                                                          |  three        |              | nine         |              |  twelve  |            |
|                                                          |                                                          |  months ended |              | months ended |              | months ended  |            |
| (Thousands, except ratios)                               |                                                          | September 30, 2004 |              |
| Earnings from continuing operations                      | $                                                        | 27,689        |              | $            | 52,314  | ** **    | $          | 47,332  |  |
| Income taxes                                             |                                                          | 16,500        |              |              | 29,950  | ** **    |            | 25,848  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               | ** ** |  |  |  |
| Earnings from operations before income  taxes            | $                                                        | 44,189        |              | $            | 82,264  | ** **    | $          | 73,180  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               | ** ** |  |  |  |
| Fixed charges:                                           |                                                          |                    |              |              |              | ** **    |            |  |  |
|                                                          | Interest, long-term debt                                 | $                  | 10,632  |              | $            | 36,310   | ** ** | $ | 51,395  |  |
|                                                          | Interest, other (including interest on  short-term debt) |                    | 626     |              |              | 2,250    | ** ** |  | 4,193  |  |
|                                                          | Amortization of debt expense, premium,  net              |                    | 806     |              |              | 2,517    | ** ** |  | 3,460  |  |
|                                                          | Portion of rentals representative of an  interest factor |                    | 86      |              |              | 259      | ** ** |  | 336  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               | ** ** |  |  |  |
| Total fixed charges                                      | $                                                        | 12,150        |              | $            | 41,336  | ** **    | $          | 59,384  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               | ** ** |  |  |  |
| Earnings from continuing operations  before income taxes | $                                                        | 44,189        |              | $            | 82,264  | ** **    | $          | 73,180  |  |
|                                                          | Plus:  total fixed charges                          |                    | 12,150  |              |              | 41,336   | ** ** |  | 59,384  |  |
|                                                          | Plus:  amortization of capitalized  interest        |                    | 102     |              |              | 383      | ** ** |  | 564  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               |            |  |  |
| Earnings from continuing operations  before income taxes |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               |            |  |  |
|                                                          | and fixed charges                                        | $                  | 56,441  |              | $            | 123,983  | ** ** | $ | 133,128  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               | ** ** |  |  |  |
| Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                       |                                                          | 4.65          | x            |              | 3.00    | x             |            | 2.24  | x |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               |            |  |  |  |
| Total fixed charges from above                           | $                                                        | 12,150        |              | $            | 41,336  |               | $          | 59,384  |  |
| Preferred stock dividends                                |                                                          | 110           |              |              | 1,221   |               |            | 1,260  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               |            |  |  |  |
| Total fixed charges and preferred stock  dividends       | $                                                        | 12,260        |              | $            | 42,557  |               | $          | 60,644  |  |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    | ** **   | ** **   |              |               |            |  |  |  |
| Ratio of earnings to combined fixed  charges             |                                                          | ** **         | ** **   |              |              |               |            |  |  |
|                                                          | and preferred stock dividends                            |                    | 4.60    | x            |              | 2.91     | x          |  | 2.20  | x |
|                                                          |                                                          |                    |              |              |              |               |            |  |  |  |

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