2.0.0.10falseVARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES006102 - Disclosure - VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIEStruefalsefalsefalse1usd$falsefalseu000Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170u001Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0u002Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli020etr_NotesToFinancialStatementsAbstractetrfalsenadurationstringNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalseNo definition available.false31us-gaap_ScheduleOfVariableInterestEntitiesTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationstringNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">NOTE 12.  VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, System Energy)</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Under applicable authoritative accounting guidance, a variable interest entity (VIE) is an entity that conducts a business or holds property that possesses any of the following characteristics: an insufficient amount of equity at risk to finance its activities, equity owners who do not have the power to direct the significant activities of the entity (or have voting rights that are disproportionate to their ownership interest), or where equity holders do not receive expected losses or returns.  An entity may have an interest in a VIE through ownership or other contractual rights or obligations, and is required to consolidate a VIE if it is the VIE's primary beneficiary.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>The FASB issued authoritative accounting guidance that became effective in the first quarter 2010 that revises the manner in which entities evaluate whether consolidation is required for VIEs.  Under the revised guidance, the primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE's economic performance, and has the obligation to absorb losses or has the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity.  In conjunction with the adoption of the new guidance, Entergy updated reviews of its contracts and arrangements to determine whether Entergy is the primary beneficiary of a VIE based on the revisions to the previous consolidation model and other provisions of this standard.  Based on this review Entergy determined that Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy should consolidate the respective companies from which they lease nuclear fuel, usually in a sale and leaseback transaction.  This determination is because Entergy directs the nuclear fuel companies with respect to nuclear fuel purchases, assists the nuclear fuel companies in obtaining financing, and, if financing cannot be arranged, the lessee (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy) is responsible to repurchase nuclear fuel to allow the nuclear fuel company (the VIE) to meet its obligations.  Under the previous guidance, the determination of the primary beneficiary of a VIE was based on ownership interests and the risks and rewards in the entity attributable to the variable interest holders.  Therefore, the Entergy companies did not previously consolidate the nuclear fuel companies.  Because Entergy has historically accounted for the leases with the nuclear fuel companies as capital lease obligations, the effect of consolidating the nuclear fuel companies did not materially affect Entergy's financial statements.  During the term of the arrangements, none of the Entergy operating companies have been required to provide financial support apart from their scheduled lease payments.  These nuclear fuel leases are further described in Note 10 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K.  See Note 4 to the financial statements herein for details of the nuclear fuel companies' credit facility borrowings and long-term debt that are reported by Entergy, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy.  These amounts also represent Entergy's and the respective Registrant Subsidiary's maximum exposure to losses associated with their respective interests in the nuclear fuel companies.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are also considered to each hold a variable interest in the lessors from which they lease undivided interests representing approximately 9.3% of the Waterford 3 and 11.5% of the Grand Gulf nuclear plants, respectively.  Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are the lessees under these arrangements, which are described in more detail in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements in the Form 10-K.  Entergy Louisiana made payments on its lease, including interest, of $25.3 million in the first quarter 2010 and $22.0 million in the first quarter 2009.  System Energy made payments on its lease, including interest, of $45.7 million in the first quarter 2010 and $43.8 million in the first quarter 2009.  The lessors are banks acting in the capacity of owner trustee for the benefit of equity investors in the transactions pursuant to trust agreements entered solely for the purpose of facilitating the lease transactions.  It is possible that Entergy Louisiana and System Energy may be considered as the primary beneficiary of the lessors, but Entergy is unable to apply the revised authoritative accounting guidance with respect to these VIEs because the lessors are not required to, and could not, provide the necessary financial information to consolidate the lessors.  Because Entergy accounts for these leasing arrangements as capital financings, however, Entergy believes that consolidating the lessors would not materially affect the financial statements.  In the unlikely event of default under a lease, remedies available to the lessor include payment by the lessee of the fair value of the undivided interest in the plant, payment of the present value of the basic rent payments, or payment of a predetermined casualty value.  Entergy believes, however, that the obligations recorded on the balance sheets materially represent each companies' potential exposure to loss.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Entergy has also reviewed various lease arrangements, power purchase agreements, and other agreements in which it holds a variable interest.  In these cases, Entergy has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the related VIE because it does not have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE's economic performance, or it does not have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity, or both.</font></div>NOTE 12.  VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy NewfalsefalsefalseDisclosure of variable interest entities (VIE), including, but not limited to the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the VIE, the carrying amount and classification of consolidated assets that are collateral for the VIE's obligations, lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of a consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary. An enterprise that holds a significant variable interest in a VIE but is not the primary beneficiary may disclose the nature of its involvement with the VIE and when that involvement began, the nature, purpose, size, and activities of the VIE and the enterprise's maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the VIE.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 140
-Paragraph 35
Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Interpretation (FIN)
-Number 46R
-Paragraph 2, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24, 25, 26
Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Interpretation (FIN)
-Number 46R
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph g
Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)
-Number FAS140-4 and FIN46(R)-8
-Paragraph C4
-Subparagraph d
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