Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Reclassifications

The corrections to the December 31, 2010 and 2011 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows are presented in the following tables:

Cleco
	FOR THE YEAR ENDED
				2010						2011
(THOUSANDS)	AS REPORTED			AS ADJUSTED			AS REPORTED			AS ADJUSTED
Accounts receivable	$	(16,156	)	$	(12,503	)	$	(15,798	)	$	(19,146	)
Other deferred accounts	$	1,813		$	(114	)	$	(1,084	)	$	4,305
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	215,173	*	$	216,899		$	308,020		$	310,061
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	$	(305,157	)*	$	(306,883	)	$	(200,364	)**	$	(202,405	)
Net cash used in investing activities	$	(306,905	)*	$	(308,631	)	$	(101,675	)	$	(103,716	)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	$	45,935		$	45,935		$	(97,552	)	$	(97,552	)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	$	145,193		$	145,193		$	191,128		$	191,128
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	$	191,128		$	191,128		$	93,576		$	93,576
* These amounts were previously revised in the Registrants’ Combined Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2011.
**These amounts differ with the amounts previously reported in the Registrants’ Combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, due to Insurance reimbursement for property loss being shown separately from Additions to property, plant, and equipment in order to conform to the presentation used in the 2012 financial statements.

Cleco Power
	FOR THE YEAR ENDED
				2010						2011
(THOUSANDS)	AS REPORTED			AS ADJUSTED			AS REPORTED			AS ADJUSTED
Accounts receivable	$	(16,261	)	$	(12,608	)	$	(14,858	)	$	(18,206	)
Other deferred accounts	$	(8,082	)	$	(10,009	)	$	(7,788	)	$	(2,399	)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	170,759	*	$	172,485		$	249,717		$	251,758
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	$	(149,211	)*	$	(150,937	)	$	(182,574	)	$	(184,615	)
Net cash used in investing activities	$	(134,672	)*	$	(136,398	)	$	(170,193	)	$	(172,234	)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	$	46,799		$	46,799		$	(117,454	)	$	(117,454	)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period	$	138,113		$	138,113		$	184,912		$	184,912
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period	$	184,912		$	184,912		$	67,458		$	67,458
* These amounts were previously revised in the Registrants’ Combined Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2011.

Useful Lives of Property, Plant and Equipment

Depreciation on property, plant, and equipment is calculated primarily on a straight-line basis over the useful lives of the assets, as follows:

	YEARS
Utility plant	5-58
Other	5-44

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant, and equipment consist of:

	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2012			2011
Regulated utility plants	$	3,871,940		$	3,759,541
Other	268,254			264,114
Total property, plant, and equipment	4,140,194			4,023,655
Accumulated depreciation	(1,311,273		)	(1,230,783		)
Net property, plant, and equipment	$	2,828,921		$	2,792,872

Plant Acquisition Adjustments

The plant acquisition adjustments and accumulated amortization reported in property, plant, and equipment and accumulated depreciation on Cleco Power’s balance sheet at December 31, 2012 and 2011, are shown in the following table.

	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2012		2011
Acadia Unit 1
Plant acquisition adjustment	$	95,578	$	95,578
Less:  accumulated amortization	9,018		5,836
Net plant acquisition adjustment	$	86,560	$	89,742
Teche
Plant acquisition adjustment	$	5,359	$	5,359
Less:  accumulated amortization	3,979		3,724
Net plant acquisition adjustment	$	1,380	$	1,635

Restricted Cash

Cleco’s restricted cash and cash equivalents consisted of:

	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2012		2011
Diversified Lands’ mitigation escrow	$	97	$	97
Cleco Katrina/Rita’s storm recovery bonds	8,781		8,761
Cleco Power’s future storm restoration costs	5,343		24,876
Cleco Power’s renewable energy grant	—		381
Cleco Power’s NOx allowance escrow	—		1,713
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	$	14,221	$	35,828

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]

The following table shows the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
				2012					2011					2010
(THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARES AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)	INCOME		SHARES	PER SHARE AMOUNT		INCOME		SHARES	PER SHARE AMOUNT		INCOME		SHARES	PER SHARE AMOUNT
Income from continuing operations	$	163,648				$	195,848				$	255,391
Deduct:  non-participating stock dividends (4.5% preferred stock)	—					26					46
Deduct:  non-participating stock redemption costs (4.5% preferred stock)	—					112					—
Basic net income applicable to common stock	$	163,648	60,370,588	$	2.71	$	195,710	60,488,740	$	3.24	$	255,345	60,431,142	$	4.23
Effect of dilutive securities
Add:  stock option grants			4,154					20,647					32,080
Add:  restricted stock (LTICP)			253,387					324,177					291,367
Diluted net income applicable to common stock	$	163,648	60,628,129	$	2.70	$	195,710	60,833,564	$	3.22	$	255,345	60,754,589	$	4.20