CLECO
      CORPORATION
            EXHIBIT
      12(a)




Computation
of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and of Earnings to Combined
 Fixed
Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends
 UNAUDITED
      (THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIOS)
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2008
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2007
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2006
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2005
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2004Earnings
      from continuing operations
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                102,141
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                151,789
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                74,670
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                182,978
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                66,119Equity
      income (loss) and dividends from investees
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                10,648
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                (84,327
                                                                                                )
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                6,201
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                (77,765
                                                                                                )
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2,406Income
      tax expense
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                18,457
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                70,772
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                42,049
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                115,951
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                35,864Earnings
      from continuing operations before income taxes
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                131,246
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                138,234
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                122,920
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                221,164
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                104,389Fixed
      charges:Interest, long-term
      debt
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                53,969
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                39,903
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                40,138
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                35,780
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                47,244Interest, other (including
      interest on short-term debt)
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                15,831
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                9,236
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                5,111
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3,260
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2,945Amortization of debt expense,
      premium, net
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2,242
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                1,972
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                1,867
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2,399
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3,261Portion of rentals
      representative of an interest factor
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                523
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                558
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                506
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                284
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                286Total
      fixed charges
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                72,565
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                51,669
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                47,622
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                41,723
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                53,736Earnings
      from continuing operations before income taxes
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                131,246
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                138,234
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                122,920
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                221,164
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                104,389Plus:  total fixed
      charges from above
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                72,565
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                51,669
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                47,622
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                41,723
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                53,736Plus:  amortization of
      capitalized interest
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                407
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                407
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                407
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                407
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                485Earnings
      from continuing operations before income taxes and fixed
      charges
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                204,218
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                190,310
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                170,949
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                263,294
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                158,610Ratio
      of earnings to fixed charges
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2.81
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3.68
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3.59
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                6.31
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2.95
                                                                                                xTotal
      fixed charges from above
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                72,565
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                51,669
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                47,622
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                41,723
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                53,736Preferred
      stock dividends
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                55
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                480
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                1,772
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                1,922
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2,741Total
      fixed charges and preferred stock dividends
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                72,620
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                52,149
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                49,394
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                43,645
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                $
                                                                                                56,477Ratio
      of earnings to combined fixed chargesand preferred stock
      dividends
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2.81
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3.65
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                3.46
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                6.03
                                                                                                x
                                                                                                
                                                                                                
                                                                                                2.81
                                                                                                x