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Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]  
Schedule of Reconciliation of Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets and Funded Status of Pension Plans
The benefit obligation, plan assets, and funded status for the pension plan at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are presented in the following table:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period
$494,864 $525,482 
Service cost
3,866 4,619 
Interest cost
27,105 26,140 
Actuarial loss (gain)
5,913 (25,647)
Expenses paid
— (3,396)
Transfer to Cleco Cajun Purchasers
— (1,674)
Benefits paid(31,247)(30,660)
Benefit obligation at end of period
500,501 494,864 
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period
409,270 408,159 
Actual gain on plan assets
48,686 11,091 
Employer contributions
16,500 25,750 
Expenses paid
(2,967)(3,396)
Transfer to Cleco Cajun Purchasers
— (1,674)
Benefits paid(31,247)(30,660)
Fair value of plan assets at end of period
440,242 409,270 
Unfunded status$(60,259)$(85,594)
The benefit obligation, plan assets, and funded status for the Other Benefits plan at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are presented in the following table:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period
$44,003 $47,056 
Service cost
1,578 1,907 
Interest cost
2,343 2,322 
Actuarial gain
1,346 (2,011)
Plan amendments
4,532 — 
Derecognition of Cleco Cajun liability— (380)
Benefits paid(4,969)(4,891)
Benefit obligation at end of period
48,833 44,003 
Unfunded status$(48,833)$(44,003)
The SERP funded status at December 31, 2025, and 2024 is presented in the following table:

 SERP BENEFITS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period
$63,543 $67,462 
Service cost58 134 
Interest cost3,454 3,343 
Actuarial gain1,177 (2,814)
Benefits paid(4,603)(4,582)
Benefit obligation at end of period
$63,629 $63,543 
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet
The current and non-current portions of the Pension Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are as follows:
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$16,772 $16,344 
Non-current$43,487 $69,250 
The current and non-current portions of the Other Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are as follows:
Cleco
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$5,753 $5,279 
Non-current$43,080 $38,724 

Cleco Power
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$4,896 $4,524 
Non-current$33,457 $30,054 
The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are as follows:
Cleco
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$4,981 $4,815 
Non-current$58,648 $58,728 
Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligation
The employee pension plan accumulated benefit obligation at December 31, 2025, and 2024 is presented in the following table:

AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Accumulated benefit obligation$485,708 $479,948 
The SERP accumulated benefit obligation at December 31, 2025, and 2024 is presented in the following table:

AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Accumulated benefit obligation$63,629 $63,543 
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
The following table presents the net actuarial gains/losses included in net periodic benefit cost and recorded in the associated Postretirement costs regulatory asset for the Pension Plan for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Net actuarial gain occurring during period
$(6,639)$(6,310)
The following table presents the net actuarial gains/losses included in other comprehensive income for Other Benefits related to current year gains and losses as a result of being included in net periodic benefit costs for the Other Benefits plan for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Net actuarial loss (gain) occurring during period
$1,346 $(1,964)
Net actuarial (gain) loss amortized during period
$(295)$653 
The following table presents net actuarial gains/losses and prior service credits included in other comprehensive income or regulatory assets related to current year gains and losses as a result of being amortized as a component of net periodic benefit costs for SERP for December 31, 2025, and 2024:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Net actuarial loss (gain) occurring during year
$1,176 $(2,814)
Net actuarial gain amortized during year
$— $(58)
Prior service credit amortized during year
$(215)$(215)
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
The following table presents net actuarial gains/losses in accumulated other comprehensive income that have not been recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs for the employee pension plan:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Accumulated net actuarial loss
$51,451 $58,089 
The following table presents net actuarial gains/losses in accumulated other comprehensive income that have not been
recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs for the Other Benefits plan:

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Accumulated net actuarial loss
$9,984 $9,685 
The following table presents net actuarial losses and prior service credit in accumulated other comprehensive income and regulatory assets that have not been recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs for SERP at December 31, 2025, and 2024:
AT DEC. 31
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Accumulated net actuarial loss
$6,125 $4,948 
Prior service credit$(655)$(870)
Schedule of Components of Net Periodic Pension and Other Benefit Costs The components of net periodic pension costs for 2025, 2024, and 2023 are as follows:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)202520242023
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost$3,866 $4,619 $4,977 
Interest cost27,105 26,140 26,423 
Expected return on plan assets(33,167)(30,428)(29,544)
Net periodic benefit (credit) cost
$(2,196)$331 $1,856 
The components of net periodic Other Benefits costs for 2025, 2024, and 2023 are as follows:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)202520242023
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost$1,578 $1,907 $1,472 
Interest cost2,343 2,322 2,285 
Amortizations
Net (gain) loss
295 646 (45)
Gain on derecognition of Cleco Cajun
— (169)— 
Net periodic benefit cost$4,216 $4,706 $3,712 
The components of the net SERP costs for 2025, 2024, and 2023 are as follows:
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)202520242023
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost$58 $134 $142 
Interest cost3,454 3,343 3,604 
Amortizations
Prior service credit(215)(215)(215)
Net (gain) loss
(139)(81)(63)
Net periodic benefit cost$3,158 $3,181 $3,468 
Schedule of Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Costs The assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the periodic costs are as follows:
AT DEC. 31,
 20252024
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation  
Discount rate5.60 %5.66 %
Rate of compensation increase
3.00 %3.00 %
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
 202520242023
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net benefit cost
Discount rate5.66 %5.13 %5.44 %
Expected return on plan assets
7.07 %6.68 %6.60 %
Rate of compensation increase
3.00 %3.50 %2.76 %
The measurement date used to determine the other postretirement benefits is December 31. The assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the periodic costs are as follows:

AT DEC. 31,
 20252024
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation  
Discount rate5.25 %5.61 %
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
 202520242023
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net benefit cost
Discount rate5.61 %5.25 %5.61 %
The assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the periodic costs are as follows:
AT DEC. 31,
 20252024
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
  
Discount rate5.54 %5.65 %
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
 202520242023
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net benefit cost
Discount rate5.65 %5.13 %5.46 %
Schedule of Fair Value Allocation of Pension Plan The following tables disclose the pension plan’s fair value of financial assets measured on a recurring basis:
(THOUSANDS)AT DEC. 31, 2025QUOTED PRICES
IN ACTIVE
MARKETS FOR
IDENTICAL ASSETS
(LEVEL 1)		SIGNIFICANT
OTHER
OBSERVABLE
INPUTS
(LEVEL 2)		SIGNIFICANT
UNOBSERVABLE
INPUTS
(LEVEL 3)
Asset Description    
Cash equivalents$9,264 $— $9,264 $— 
Mutual funds
Domestic
138,407 138,407 — — 
Total$147,671 $138,407 $9,264 $— 
Investments measured at net asset value(1)
292,247 
Interest accrual324 
Total net assets$440,242 
(1) Investments measured at net asset value consist of Common/collective trust and real estate fund investments.
(THOUSANDS)AT DEC. 31, 2024QUOTED PRICES
IN ACTIVE
MARKETS FOR
IDENTICAL ASSETS
(LEVEL 1)		SIGNIFICANT
OTHER
OBSERVABLE
INPUTS
(LEVEL 2)
SIGNIFICANT
UNOBSERVABLE
INPUTS
(LEVEL 3)(1)
Asset Description    
Cash equivalents$5,818 $— $5,818 $— 
Mutual funds
Domestic
121,954 121,954 — — 
Corporate debt76,712 — 76,712 — 
Total$204,484 $121,954 $82,530 $— 
Investments measured at net asset value(1)
204,476 
Interest accrual310 
Total net assets$409,270 
(1) Investments measured at net asset value consist of Common/collective trust and real estate fund investments.
The general funded status to target portfolio allocations are as follows:

FUNDED STATUS
RETURN-SEEKING ASSETS
LIABILITY-HEDGING
ASSETS - CREDIT
LIABILITY-HEDGING
ASSETS - GOVERNMENT
≤ 80%
60%
20%
20%
80% to 100%
60% to 47%
20% to 37%
20% to 16%
100% to 115%
47% to 10%
37% to 83%
16% to 7%
≥ 115%
10%
83%
7%
Schedule of Projected Benefit Payments and Projected Receipts
The projected benefit payments for the employee pension plan for each year through 2030 and the next five years thereafter are listed in the following table:

(THOUSANDS)20262027202820292030FIVE
YEARS
THEREAFTER
Pension
$33,095 $33,882 $34,510 $35,058 $35,522 $180,012 
The projected benefit payments for the Other Benefits plan for each year through 2030 and the next five years thereafter are listed in the following table:

(THOUSANDS)20262027202820292030FIVE
YEARS
THEREAFTER
Other benefits
$5,753 $5,792 $5,667 $5,555 $5,397 $24,195 
The projected benefit payments for SERP for each year through 2030 and the next five years thereafter are shown in the following table:

(THOUSANDS)20262027202820292030FIVE
YEARS
THEREAFTER
SERP$4,981 $4,936 $4,925 $4,898 $4,829 $23,079 
Schedule of 401(k) Plan Expense Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was as follows:
 FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)202520242023
401(k) Plan expense
$8,829 $9,069 $7,770 
The expense of the 401(k) Plan related to Cleco’s other subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was as follows:
 FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)202520242023
401(k) Plan expense
$1,835 $3,071 $2,859 
CLECO POWER  
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]  
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet
The current and non-current portions of the Pension Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are as follows:
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$16,772 $16,344 
Non-current$43,487 $69,250 
The current and non-current portions of the Other Benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2025, and 2024 are as follows:
Cleco
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$5,753 $5,279 
Non-current$43,080 $38,724 

Cleco Power
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$4,896 $4,524 
Non-current$33,457 $30,054 
Cleco Power
AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)20252024
Current$862 $833 
Non-current$10,146 $10,160