EX-12.(B)

Exhibit (12)(b)

CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends
(Millions of Dollars)


	Year Ended December 31
	2008		2007		2006			2005			2004
								(b)
Earnings as defined (a)
Pretax income from continuing operations	$	562	$	437	$	167		$	(590	)	$	439
Exclude equity basis subsidiaries (c)		—		—		(1	)		(1	)		(1	)
Fixed charges as defined		276		293		307			316			345

Earnings as defined	$	838	$	730	$	473		$	(275	)	$	783


Fixed charges as defined (a)
Interest on long-term debt	$	229	$	236	$	286		$	305		$	328
Estimated interest portion of lease rental		25		23		8			6			4
Other interest charges		22		34		13			5			13

Fixed charges as defined	$	276	$	293	$	307		$	316		$	345
Preferred dividends		3		3		3			3			3

Combined fixed charges and preferred dividends	$	279	$	296	$	310		$	319		$	348


Ratio of earnings to fixed charges		3.04		2.49		1.54			—			2.27


Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred dividends		3.00		2.47		1.53			—			2.25

NOTES:

(a) Earnings and fixed charges as defined in instructions for Item 503 of Regulation S-K.

(b) For the year ended December 31, 2005, fixed charges exceeded earnings by $591 million and combined fixed charges and preferred dividends exceeded earnings by $594 million. Earnings as defined include $1.184 billion of asset impairment charges.