CNL Cleco Corp.

Cleco Corporation (NYSE: CNL) President and Chief Executive Officer Michael H. Madison and other officers of the company will ring The Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, April 16 at 3 p.m. Central time (4 p.m. Eastern time) as part of the company's 75th anniversary celebration.

Cleco was incorporated on Jan. 2, 1935.

"This is an incredible milestone. We're excited about this unique opportunity to commemorate our long history," said Madison. "We owe our longevity to our customers and our communities, to our investors for their trust and financial support, and to our dedicated employees who helped build this company over the last seven decades."

A live webcast of The Closing Bell ceremony will be available for viewing on the homepage of the NYSE's Web site at www.nyse.com beginning at 2:59 p.m. Central time (3:59 p.m. Eastern time).

"We hope those who can, will tune into the webcast to help us celebrate this honor," said Russell Davis, vice president of investor relations and chief accounting officer. "We are proud to serve and represent Louisiana."

Cleco is the only publicly traded company on the NYSE headquartered in central Louisiana, and the seventh largest NYSE-traded company based in Louisiana. Cleco's stock was first admitted for trading on the NYSE in 1968. It is listed under the symbol CNL.

The ringing of The Opening and Closing Bell at the NYSE indicates the start and finish of the NYSE's trading day. It is considered an honor to be invited to ring The Opening or The Closing Bell. Ringing the bell is an honor normally reserved for governmental officials, international dignitaries visiting New York, heads of listed companies and special New York celebrations.

Cleco Corporation is a regional energy company headquartered in Pineville, La. It operates a regulated electric utility company, Cleco Power LLC, which serves about 277,000 retail customers across Louisiana. Cleco also operates a wholesale energy business, Cleco Midstream Resouces LLC, which includes the pending sale of Acadia Power Station Unit 2. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Cleco Power serving Louisiana customers. For more information about Cleco, visit www.cleco.com.

Analyst Contact: Cleco Corporation Russell Davis (318) 484-7501 Email Contact Media Contact: Cleco Corporation Fran Phoenix (318) 613-0823