CLECO CORPORATION  EXHIBIT 23(a)

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

    We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S-3 (Nos. 333-109506 and 333-55656) and Form S-8 (Nos. 33-10169, 33-26726, 33-38362, 33-44663, 333-44364, 333-59692, 333-59696, 333-124716, and 333-127496) of Cleco Corporation of our report dated February 28, 2006, relating to the financial statements, financial statement schedules, management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in this Form 10-K.

/s/  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New Orleans, Louisiana

February 28, 2006