Exhibit 12
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SEMCO ENERGY, Inc.
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(Thousands of Dollars)
12 months Year ended December 31,
ended ---------------------------------------------------
Description 09/30/00 1999 1998 1997 (c) 1996 (c) 1995
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Earning as defined (a)
Income (loss) before income taxes,
dividends on trust preferred securities
and extraordinary items . . . . . . . . . $ 24,385 $24,671 $17,819 $ 23,894 ($19,868) $17,482
Fixed charges as defined . . . . . . . . . . 39,802 20,817 15,085 16,741 14,617 14,402
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Less preferred securities dividend require-
ments of consolidated subsidiaries. . . . (4,438) (242) (274) (274) (274) (274)
Other items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 158 178 178 178 178
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Earnings as defined. . . . . . . . . . $ 59,773 $45,404 $32,808 $ 40,539 ($5,347) $31,788
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Fixed charges as defined (a)
Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 32,377 $19,278 $14,361 $ 16,018 $ 13,912 $13,608
Amortization of debt expense . . . . . . . . 2,987 1,297 450 449 431 520
Preferred securities dividend requirements
of consolidated subsidiaries. . . . . . . 4,438 242 274 274 274 274
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Fixed charges as defined . . . . . . . $ 39,802 $20,817 $15,085 $ 16,741 $ 14,617 $14,402
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges . . . . . 1.50 2.18 2.17 2.42 (b) 2.21
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<FN>
Notes:
(a) Earnings and fixed charges as defined in instructions for Item 503 of Regulation S-K.
(b) For the year ended December 31, 1996, fixed charges exceeded earnings by $20.0 million.
Earnings as defined include a $32.3 million non-cash pretax write-down of the NOARK
investment. Excluding the NOARK write-down the ratio of earnings to fixed charges
would have been 1.84.
(c) Restated to account for a 1998 acquisition as a pooling of interests. Years prior
to 1996 were not restated for the pooling of interest as the effects were deemed
not material.
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