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Cleco Brings Online Unit at Teche Power Station

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, March 31st 2011 at 14:10 GMT by Market Wire}  

PINEVILLE, LA--(Marketwire - March 31, 2011) - Cleco Power LLC, the regulated electric utility subsidiary of Cleco Corp. (NYSE: [ CNL ]), today announced that it has brought online a new unit at its Teche Power Station in Baldwin.

Teche Unit 4 is a 35-megawatt unit that will strengthen Cleco Power's reliability by serving as a blackstart or startup unit, beginning this summer, in the event of a total system shutdown and by providing power during times of peak demand. The unit took 12 months to construct and was designed with a General Electric 6B gas turbine. The project cost approximately $31 million.

"Teche 4's quick-start capability will strengthen our existing blackstart plan by taking less than 30 minutes to power up," said George Bausewine, president and COO of Cleco Power. "The unit also will serve a dual function by providing peaking or 'as needed' power to our system."

A blackstart plan is required by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a reliability oversight organization. A blackstart plan describes how a utility would restore its system if it was separated from the regional transmission grid, experienced a blackout or had to restart its power generation facilities.

As extreme weather increases the demand for electricity, the unit also can supply power quickly to Cleco's system. "As we approach the summer months, which are typically a time of high energy use, it is reassuring to have the added benefit of Teche 4 on our system," said Bausewine. "We are pleased to have this unit operational and ready to serve our customers for many years to come."

Cleco Corp. is a regional energy company headquartered in Pineville, La. It operates a regulated electric utility company, Cleco Power LLC, which serves about 279,000 retail customers across Louisiana. Cleco also operates a wholesale energy business, Cleco Midstream Resources LLC. For more information about Cleco, visit [ www.cleco.com ].