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Columbia Energy Group Exhibit 12 Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
 Year ended December 31,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2002
    
    
    2001
    
    
    2000Earnings as defined in item
503(d) of Regulation S-K:Add:Pretax income from continuing
Operations (b)
    
    $
    643.7
    
    
    $
    727.8
    
    
    $
    659.8
    
    
    $
    456.4
    
    
    $
    449.6Fixed Charges
    
    
    103.3
    
    
    
    91.5
    
    
    
    124.2
    
    
    
    162.3
    
    
    
    189.8Amortization of capitalized interest (c)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Distributed income of equity investees
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    0.8Share of pre-tax losses of equity
investees for which charges arising
guarantees are included in fixed chargesDeduct:Interest capitalized (c)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Preference security dividend requirements
of consolidated subsidiaries (d)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Minority interest in pre-tax income
of subsidiaries that have not incurred
fixed charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    $
    747.0
    
    
    $
    819.3
    
    
    $
    784.0
    
    
    $
    618.7
    
    
    $
    640.2Fixed charges as defined in
item 503(d) of Regulation S-K:Interest on long-term debt
    
    $
    84.7
    
    
    $
    73.1
    
    
    $
    114.8
    
    
    $
    116.6
    
    
    $
    134.6Other interest
    
    
    13.2
    
    
    
    12.7
    
    
    
    2.8
    
    
    
    40.5
    
    
    
    36.4Capitalized interest during period (c)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Amortization of premium,
reacquisition premium,
discount and expense
on debt, net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    0.7
    
    
    
    0.3Interest portion of rent
expense
    
    
    5.3
    
    
    
    5.7
    
    
    
    6.5
    
    
    
    4.5
    
    
    
    18.5Minority Interest (Topies)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Total Fixed Charges
    
    $
    103.2
    
    
    $
    91.5
    
    
    $
    124.1
    
    
    $
    162.3
    
    
    $
    189.8Plus preferred stock dividends:Preferred dividend
requirements of subsidiary
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    Preferred dividend
requirements factor
    
    
    0.63
    
    
    
    0.66
    
    
    
    0.65
    
    
    
    0.62
    
    
    
    0.64Preference security dividend requirements
of consolidated subsidiaries (d)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Fixed charges
    
    
    103.2
    
    
    
    91.5
    
    
    
    124.1
    
    
    
    162.3
    
    
    
    189.8$
    103.2
    
    
    $
    91.5
    
    
    $
    124.1
    
    
    $
    162.3
    
    
    $
    189.8Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
    
    
    7.24
    
    
    
    8.95
    
    
    
    6.32
    
    
    
    3.81
    
    
    
    3.37
   (a)
    
    Income Statement amounts have been adjusted for discontinued operations.(b)
    
    Excludes adjustment for minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries or
income or loss from equity investees.(c)
    
    Columbia is a public utility following SFAS 71 and therefore does not add
amortization of capitalized interest or subtract interest capitalized in
determining earnings, nor reduces fixed charges for Allowance for Funds
Used During Construction.(d)
    
    Preferred dividends, as defined by SEC regulation S-K, are computed by
dividing the preferred dividend requirement by one minus the effective
income tax rate applicable to continuing operations.