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

|                                                                                |   | FOR      THE THREEMONTHS      ENDED |   |    | FOR      THE TWELVE MONTHS      ENDED |   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------|--------|---------|--------------------------------------------|--------|
| (THOUSANDS,      EXCEPT RATIOS)                                                     |   | MARCH      31, 2008                 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations                                            |   | $                                   | 22,072 |    |                                       | $      | 165,215 |   |
| Undistributed      equity income from investees                                     |   |                                | 4,574  |    |                                       |   | (77,391 | ) |
| Income      taxes                                                                   |   |                                | 5,061  |    |                                       |   | 73,690 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes                        |   | $                                   | 31,707 |    |                                       | $      | 161,514 |   |
| Fixed      charges:                                                                 |   |                                |   |    |                                       |   |   |   |
| Interest, long-term      debt                                                       |   | $                                   | 11,126 |    |                                       | $      | 40,824 |   |
| Interest, other (including      interest on short-term debt)                        |   |                                | 2,445  |    |                                       |   | 8,723 |   |
| Amortization of debt expense,      premium, net                                     |   |                                | 550    |    |                                       |   | 2,029 |   |
| Portion of rentals      representative of an interest factor                        |   |                                | 123    |    |                                       |   | 526 |   |
| Total      fixed charges                                                            |   | $                                   | 14,244 |    |                                       | $      | 52,102 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes                        |   | $                                   | 31,707 |    |                                       | $      | 161,514 |   |
| Plus:  total fixed      charges from above                                |   |                                | 14,244 |    |                                       |   | 52,102 |   |
| Plus:  amortization of      capitalized interest                          |   |                                | 102    |    |                                       |   | 407 |   |
| Earnings      from continuing operations before income taxes and fixed      charges |   | $                                   | 46,053 |    |                                       | $      | 214,023 |   |
| Ratio      of earnings to fixed charges                                             |   |                                | 3.23   | X  |                                       |   | 4.11 | X  |
| Total      fixed charges from above                                                 |   |                                | 14,244 |    |                                       |   | 52,102 |   |
| Preferred      stock dividends                                                      |   |                                | 14     |    |                                       |   | 67 |   |
| Total      fixed charges and preferred stock dividends                              |   |                                | 14,258 |    |                                       |   | 52,169 |   |
| Ratio      of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock      dividends |   |                                | 3.23   | X  |                                       |   | 4.10 | X  |

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