**EXHIBIT 12(b)**

**CLECO POWER LLCCOMPUTATION OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGESAND EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGESAND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS(Unaudited)**

|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | **2003**                   |                           | 2002                      |                           | 2001                      |                                 | 2000                            |              | 1999 |  |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------|------|--|
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | (Thousands, except ratios) |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Earnings from continuing  operations                     | **$    57,008 **                      | ** **                                | $ 59,574        |                            | $  59,138  |                           | $  59,857  |                           | $   56,683  |                                 |
| Income taxes                                             |                                                                |                                           | **29,846 **          |                            | 32,172               |                           | 31,290               |                           | 30,998                     |                                 | 27,272  |      |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Earnings from continuing  operations before income taxes | **$    86,854 **                      |                                           | $ 91,746        |                            | $  90,428  |                           | $  90,855  |                           | $   83,955  |                                 |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Fixed charges:                                           |                                                                | ** **                                |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |
|                                                          | Interest, long-term debt                                       | **$    25,841 ** |                           | $  24,762   |                           | $  23,813  |                           | $  24,929  |                                 | $   25,377  |              |
|                                                          | Interest, other (including  interest on short-term (debt)      | **2,220 **                           |                           | 4,001                 |                           | 3,304                |                           | 3,427                |                                 | 1,755                      |              |
|                                                          | Amortization of debt  expense, premium, net                    | **1,526 **                           |                           | 931                   |                           | 879                  |                           | 946                  |                                 | 1,282                      |              |
|                                                          | Portion of rentals  representative of an interest  factor | **513 **                             |                           | 528                   |                           | 527                  |                           | 493                  |                                 | 615                        |              |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Total fixed charges                                      |                                                                | **$    30,100 ** |                           | $  30,222   |                           | $  28,523  |                           | $  29,795  |                                 | $   29,029  |              |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Earnings from continuing  operations before income       |                                                                |                                           |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |
| taxes and fixed charges                                  | **$  116,954 **                                 | ** **                                | $121,968             |                            | $118,951             |                           | $120,650             |                           | $ 112,984             |                                 |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 | ** **                |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Ratio of earnings to fixed  charges                      | **3.89 **                                                 | x                                         | 4.04                 | x                          | 4.17                 | x                         | 4.05                 | x                         | 3.89                       | x                               |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Total fixed charges from  above                          | **$    30,100 **                      | ** **                                | $  30,222  |                            | $  28,523  |                           | $  29,795  |                           | $   29,029  |                                 |
| Preferred stock dividends                                |                                                                | **- **                               |                           | -                     |                           | -                    |                           | -                    |                                 | 1,315                      |              |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Total fixed charges and  preferred stock dividends       | **$    30,100 **                      |                                           | $  30,222  |                            | $  28,523  |                           | $  29,795  |                           | $   30,344  |                                 |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           | ** **                 | ** **                |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
| Ratio of earnings to  combined fixed charges             | ** **                                                     | ** **                                |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |
|                                                          | and preferred stock  dividends                                 | **3.89 **                            | x                         | 4.04                  | x                         | 4.17                 | x                         | 4.05                 | x                               | 3.72                       | x            |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |
|                                                          |                                                                |                                           |                           |                            |                           |                           |                           |                           |                                 |                                 |              |      |  |  |