Debt, Additional Disclosures (Details) - USD ($)	Jul. 16, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 15, 2015	Nov. 13, 2015	Jul. 15, 2015	May. 01, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt outstanding			$ 0					$ 0
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities			1,290,000,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current			19,421,000					18,272,000
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds			16,814,000					15,824,000
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities			2,607,000					2,448,000
Unsecured Debt			1,265,529,000					1,256,354,000
Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt outstanding			0					0
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities			1,250,000,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current			19,421,000					18,272,000
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds			16,814,000					15,824,000
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities			2,607,000					2,448,000
Unsecured Debt			1,265,529,000					1,256,354,000
Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds			16,800,000
Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds			16,800,000
2008 Series A GO Zone bonds
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			50,000,000					50,000,000
2008 Series A GO Zone bonds | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			50,000,000				$ 50,000,000	50,000,000
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate							2.00%
Cleco Power's senior notes, 4.95%, due 2015 [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			0					50,000,000
Cleco Power's senior notes, 4.95%, due 2015 [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			0					50,000,000
Cleco Power's senior notes, 3.68%, due 2025 [Member] [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			75,000,000					0
Cleco Power's senior notes, 3.68%, due 2025 [Member] [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt			$ 75,000,000		$ 75,000,000			$ 0
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate					3.68%
Unsecured Debt, Second Closing				$ 45,000,000
Unsecured Debt, Initial Closing					$ 30,000,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Cleco Power's senior notes, 4.95%, due 2015 [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount	$ 50,000,000
Interest Expense, Debt	$ 1,200,000
Repayment of Senior Notes through cash						$ 25,000,000
Repayment of Senior Notes through credit facility						$ 25,000,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount		$ 35,000,000