History
View Cleco's interactive history timeline
 Cleco's roots go back to the 1906 installation of a 25 kWh Corlis steam-driven generating plant in Bunkie, LA. In 1914, a 50 kWh diesel engine was added to produce ice and light the plant. In 1934, it became part of Louisiana Ice & Electric Company, which today is known as Cleco Corp.
Because ice was necessary long before electricity, ice manufacturing fostered the early development of the South's electric industry. Small steam or internal combustion electric motors powered the machinery that ran ice plants. Ice companies used power to light the plants and distributed excess energy to nearby homes and businesses. As demand increased, more facilities were needed to supply electricity and eventually, manufacturing and delivering electricity became more important than making ice. History Highlights 1934
| Floyd Woodcock reorganized Louisiana Ice & Utilities into Louisiana Ice & Electric Company.
| | 1938 | The company's first power plant, Rea Station, went into operation in Bunkie. | 1945
| The company changed its name to Central Louisiana Electric Company, Inc. (CLECO).
| | 1951 | Gulf Public Service Company merged with CLECO, doubling the size of the company. | | 1953 | Teche Power Station began commercial operation. | | 1968 | CLECO's common stock was admitted to the New York Stock Exchange for trading.
| | 1969 | CLECO completed the Toledo Bend hydroelectric power project. | | 1975 | Rodemacher Unit 1 went into commercial operation. | | 1978 | Central Louisiana Energy Corporation (ENERGY) formed and became the parent company and owner of all CLECO outstanding common stock. | | 1981 | CLECO separated from its parent company (ENERGY). | | 1982 | Rodemacher Unit 2 went into commercial operation and CLECO common stock was listed on the NYSE for the second time under the symbol CNL. | | 1986 | Cleco built its new headquarters in Pineville, LA and Dolet Hills Power Station began commercial operation. | | 1997 | CLECO purchased Teche Electric Cooperative Inc. | | 1998 | CLECO changed its name from Central Louisiana Electric Company Inc. to Cleco Corp. (Cleco) and adopted a new logo. | | 1999 | Cleco implemented a public utility holding company structure, with Cleco Utility Group and Cleco Midstream Resources LLC as two primary subsidiaries. | 2000
| Cleco's first wholesale power plant, Evangeline Power Station, began commercial operation and Cleco Utility Group, LLC changed its name to Cleco Power, LLC.
| 2002
| Perryville Power Station and Acadia Power Station, the company's other two wholesale power plants, began commercial operation, ending the largest construction phase in Cleco's history, and doubling its generation capacity. That same year, Cleco received the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) prestigious Emergency Response Award for quickly restoring power after Hurricane Lili, which affected more than 165,000 customers. Cleco put its wholesale generation growth strategy on hold after an overbuilt power market and collapsing energy-trading market strained the finances and reputations of many energy companies. Cleco determined, in light of market conditions and other factors, to discontinue speculative trading activities following an assessment of its strategies.
| | 2005 | Cleco sold its its 718-megawatt Perryville Power Station to Entergy Louisiana Inc. That same year, Cleco announced the planned construction of its new $1 billion, 600-megawatt solid-fuel generating unit to help stabilize customers’ costs by limiting the company’s dependence on natural gas and diversifying its fuel mix. The unit’s Circulating Fluidized-Bed Technology will give it the flexibility to burn a variety of less expensive fuels. Also, Cleco’s service territory is hit by two deadly storms, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, back to back, causing more than $160 million in storm damage.
| | 2006 | Cleco once again received the prestigious Emergency Response Award from EEI for its heroic efforts to restore power to more than 220,000 customers in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. That same year, Cleco broke ground on its $1 billion, 600-megawatt generating unit at Rodemacher Power Station near Boyce, Louisiana. The unit is the third of two existing units at the Rodemacher site. | | 2010 | Cleco completed Madison Unit 3 (formerly known as Rodemacher Unit 3), the largest generation project in the company's history. Rodemacher Unit 1 was renamed Nesbitt Unit 1 and the Evangeline Power Station's name returned to Coughlin Power Station. That same year, Cleco Power acquired the 580-megawatt Acadia unit from Acadia Power Partners. | | 2011 | Mike Madison retired and Bruce Williamson took over as chief executive officer. |
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