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  CLECO CORPORATION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                EXHIBIT12(a)

Computation of Ratios of Earnings(Loss) to Fixed Charges and of Earnings (Loss) to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

| UNAUDITED (THOUSANDS, EXCEPT RATIOS)                                                          | **                     2004** |   |                      2003                                  |   |                      2002      |   |                      2001      |   |                      2000      |   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---|
| Earnings (loss) from continuing operations                                                    | ** $    66,119**                                                                                              |   |    $        (29,768)                                                                                              |   |    $           80,373                                                  |   |    $           74,487                                                  |   |    $           68,510                                                  |   |
| Federal and state income tax expense (benefit)                                                | **        35,864**                                                                             |   |               (21,417)                                                                        |   |                 39,665                                  |   |                 39,170                                  |   |                 34,943                                  |   |
| Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before  income taxes                               | ** $  101,983**                                                                                                         |   |    $        (51,185)                                                                                              |   |    $         120,038                                                                  |   |    $         113,657                                                                  |   |    $         103,453                                                                  |   |
| Fixed charges:                                                                                |                                                                                                                                   |   |                                                                                                                                                                |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |
|      Interest, long-term debt                                             | ** $    47,244**                                                                                              |   |    $           60,998                                                                                   |   |    $           55,621                                                  |   |    $           51,619                                                  |   |    $           48,919                                                  |   |
|      Interest, other (including interest on  short-term debt)             | **          2,945**                                                                  |   |                   7,219                                                   |   |                   9,346                       |   |                   4,651                       |   |                   4,120                       |   |
|      Amortization of debt expense, premium, net                           | **          3,261**                                                                  |   |                   3,385                                                   |   |                   1,720                       |   |                   1,689                       |   |                   1,257                       |   |
|      Portion of rentals representative of an  interest factor             | **             286**                                                  |   |                      518                                   |   |                       608 |   |                       527 |   |                       574 |   |
| Total fixed charges                                                                           | ** $    53,736**                                                                                              |   |    $           72,120                                                                                   |   |    $           67,295                                                  |   |    $           58,486                                                  |   |    $           54,870                                                  |   |
| Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before  income taxes                               | ** $  101,983**                                                                                                         |   |     $        (51,185)                                                                                             |   |    $         120,038                                                                  |   |    $         113,657                                                                  |   |    $         103,453                                                                  |   |
|      Plus:  total fixed charges from above                           | **        53,736**                                                                             |   |                72,120                                                                    |   |                 67,295                                  |   |                 58,486                                  |   |                 54,870                                  |   |
|      Plus:  amortization of capitalized interest                     | **             485**                                                  |   |                      725                                   |   |                       725 |   |                       458 |   |                       252 |   |
|      Less:  long-term capitalized interest                           | **                  -**                      |   |                            - |   |                  (6,013)                           |   |               (10,115)                                            |   |                  (7,769)                           |   |
| Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before  income taxes and fixed charges             | ** $  156,204**                                                                                                         |   |    $          21,660                                                                                    |   |    $         182,045                                                                  |   |    $         162,486                                                                  |   |    $         150,806                                                                  |   |
| Ratio of earnings (loss) to fixed charges                                                     | **            2.91**                                                       | x |                     0.30                                        | x |                     2.71            | x |                     2.78            | x |                     2.75            | x |
| Total fixed charges from above                                                                | ** $    53,736**                                                                                              |   |    $          72,120                                                                                    |   |    $           67,295                                                  |   |    $           58,486                                                  |   |    $           54,870                                                  |   |
| Preferred stock dividends*                                                                    | **             2,741**                                                               |   |                   2,099                                                   |   |                   2,167                       |   |                   2,227                       |   |                   2,285                       |   |
| Total fixed charges and preferred stock dividends                                             | ** $    56,477**                                                                                              |   |    $          74,219                                                                                    |   |    $           69,462                                                  |   |    $           60,713                                                  |   |    $           57,155                                                  |   |
| Ratio of earnings (loss) to combined fixed  charges                                           |                                                                                                                                   |   |                                                                                                                                                                |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |
|      and preferred stock dividends                                        | **            2.77**                                                       | x |                     0.29                                        | x |                     2.62            | x |                     2.68            | x |                     2.64            | x |
| *    Preferred  stock dividends multiplied by the pre-tax income to net income |                                                                                                                                   |   |                                                                                                                                                                |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |                                                                                                                                    |   |

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