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CLECO CORPORATION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                EXHIBIT12(a)

 

Computation of Ratios of Earningsto Fixed Charges and of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends  

|                                                                                   | **      FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED**                             |   | **FOR THE    TWELVE****   ****MONTHS ENDED**                      | ** ** |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|
| UNAUDITED (THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIOS)                                              | **MARCH****31, 2005**                                                           |
| Earnings from continuing operations                                               | ** $    9,575**                                             |   | **  $    62,256**                                            | ** ** |
| Income taxes                                                                      | **        5,995**                            |   | **       36,329**                                  | ** ** |
| Earnings from continuing operations before income  taxes                          | ** $  15,570**                                                        |   | **  $    98,585**                                            | ** ** |
| Fixed charges:                                                                    |                                                                                 |   | ** **                                                                       | ** ** |
|      Interest, long-term debt                                 | ** $  10,733**                                                        |   | **  $    42,870**                                            | ** ** |
|      Interest, other (including interest on  short-term debt) | **           760**            |   | **         1,799**                       | ** ** |
|      Amortization of debt expense, premium, net               | **           626**            |   | **         2,983**                       | ** ** |
|      Portion of rentals representative of an  interest factor | **             79** |   | **             282** | ** ** |
| Total fixed charges                                                               | ** $  12,198**                                                        |   | **  $    47,934**                                            | ** ** |
| Earnings from continuing operations before income  taxes                          | ** $  15,570**                                                        |   | **  $    98,585**                                            | ** ** |
|      Plus:  total fixed charges from above               | **      12,198**                                       |   | **       47,934**                                  | ** ** |
|      Plus:  amortization of capitalized interest         | **           102**            |   | **             407** | ** ** |
| Earnings from continuing operations before income  taxes and fixed charges        | ** $  27,870**                                                        |   | **  $  146,926**                                                       | ** ** |
| Ratio of earnings to fixed charges                                                | **          2.28**                 | x | **            3.07**      | x          |
| Total fixed charges from above                                                    | **      12,198**                                       |   | **       47,934**                                  |            |
| Preferred stock dividends                                                         | **           512**            |   | **         2,504**                       |            |
| Total fixed charges and preferred stock dividends                                 | **      12,710**                                       |   | **       50,438**                                  |            |
| Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and  preferred stock dividends        | **          2.19**                 | x | **            2.91**      | x          |

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