Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs

The components of net periodic pension and other benefit cost for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, and 2010, are as follows:

	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2011			2010			2011			2010
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	2,143		$	1,973		$	379		$	383
Interest cost		4,422			4,459			460			499
Expected return on plan assets		(6,811	)		(5,248	)		-			-
Amortizations:
Transition obligation		-			-			5			5
Prior period service cost		(18	)		(18	)		(51	)		(505	)
Net loss		1,376			1,095			256			250
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,112		$	2,261		$	1,049		$	632

	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
	FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2011			2010			2011			2010
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	4,195		$	3,725		$	758		$	766
Interest cost		8,815			8,573			921			998
Expected return on plan assets		(12,323	)		(10,114	)		-			-
Amortizations:
Transition obligation		-			-			10			10
Prior period service cost		(36	)		(36	)		(103	)		(1,010	)
Net loss		2,778			1,578			513			500
Net periodic benefit cost	$	3,429		$	3,726		$	2,099		$	1,264

The components of the net SERP cost are as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,				FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2011		2010		2011		2010
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	333	$	347	$	783	$	695
Interest cost		527		525		1,052		1,050
Amortizations:
Prior period service cost		13		14		27		27
Net loss		208		221		470		442
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,081	$	1,107	$	2,332	$	2,214

401(k) Plan Expense

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, and 2010 is as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,		FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,
(THOUSANDS)	2011	2010	2011	2010
401(k) Plan expense	$852	$829	$2,053	$1,859