Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity (USD $) In Thousands	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member]	Subsidiaries' Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Total
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2009	$ 470	$ 588,444	$ 822,647	$ 1,411,561	$ 10,000	$ 1,445,425	$ (42,171)	$ 1,413,254	$ 100,000	$ 1,837,348	$ (25,539)	$ 1,911,809	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 495,320	$ 693,956	$ 33,744	$ 36,294	$ 134,967	$ 205,005	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 313,044	$ 844,490	$ 789,350	$ 40,592	$ 829,942	$ 94,000	$ 2,548	$ (4,727,167)	$ 5,370,042	$ 8,043,122	$ (75,185)	$ 8,707,360
Consolidated net income	0	0	172,618	172,618	0	174,319	0	174,319	0	231,435	0	231,435	0	0	85,377	85,377	0	0	31,114	31,114	0	0	66,200	66,200	0	82,624	82,624	20,063	0	0	0	1,250,242	0	1,270,305
Other comprehensive income (loss)					0	0	1,867	1,867	0	0	577	577																0	0	0	0	0	36,973	36,973
Common stock repurchased, value																												0	0	(878,576)	0	0	0	(878,576)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans																												0	0	80,932	(2,568)	0	0	78,364
Common stock dividends declared	0	0	(173,400)	(173,400)	0	(124,300)	0	(124,300)					0	0	(43,400)	(43,400)	0	0	(47,000)	(47,000)	0	0	(86,400)	(86,400)	0	(100,200)	(100,200)	0	0	0	0	(603,963)	0	(603,963)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	0	0	(6,873)	(6,873)	0	(827)	0	(827)	0	(6,950)	0	(6,950)	0	0	(2,828)	(2,828)	0	0	(965)	(965)								(20,063)	0	0	0	0	0	(20,063)
Other					0	(24)	0	(24)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	470	588,444	814,992	1,403,906	10,000	1,494,593	(40,304)	1,464,289	100,000	2,061,833	(24,962)	2,136,871	199,326	(690)	534,469	733,105	33,744	36,294	118,116	188,154	49,452	481,994	292,844	824,290	789,350	23,016	812,366	94,000	2,548	(5,524,811)	5,367,474	8,689,401	(38,212)	8,590,400
Consolidated net income				25,608				46,619				40,298				17,314				8,927				15,726			19,336							253,678
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2011
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	470	588,444	814,992	1,403,906	10,000	1,494,593	(40,304)	1,464,289	100,000	2,061,833	(24,962)	2,136,871	199,326	(690)	534,469	733,105	33,744	36,294	118,116	188,154	49,452	481,994	292,844	824,290	789,350	23,016	812,366	94,000	2,548	(5,524,811)	5,367,474	8,689,401	(38,212)	8,590,400
Consolidated net income	0	0	164,891	164,891	0	201,604	0	201,604	0	473,923	0	473,923	0	0	108,729	108,729	0	0	35,976	35,976	0	0	80,845	80,845	0	64,197	64,197	20,933	0	0	0	1,346,439	0	1,367,372
Member contribution									0	333,830	0	333,830
Other comprehensive income (loss)					0	0	(29,306)	(29,306)	0	0	(14,545)	(14,545)																0	0	0	0	0	(130,240)	(130,240)
Common stock repurchased, value																												0	0	(234,632)	0	0	0	(234,632)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans																												0	0	78,975	(6,792)	0	0	72,183
Common stock dividends declared	0	0	(117,800)	(117,800)	0	(301,950)	0	(301,950)	0	(358,200)	0	(358,200)	0	0	(3,300)	(3,300)	0	0	(42,000)	(42,000)	0	0	(5,780)	(5,780)	0	(76,000)	(76,000)	0	0	0	0	(588,880)	0	(588,880)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	0	0	(6,873)	(6,873)	0	(825)	0	(825)	0	(6,950)	0	(6,950)	0	0	(2,828)	(2,828)	0	0	(965)	(965)								(20,933)	0	0	0	0	0	(20,933)
Other					0	(36)	0	(36)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	470	588,444	855,210	1,444,124	10,000	1,393,386	(69,610)	1,333,776	100,000	2,504,436	(39,507)	2,564,929	199,326	(690)	637,070	835,706	33,744	36,294	111,127	181,165	49,452	481,994	367,909	899,355	789,350	11,213	800,563	94,000	2,548	(5,680,468)	5,360,682	9,446,960	(168,452)	9,055,270
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2011
Consolidated net income				8,040				51,410				20,800				34,417				(101)				1,147			8,612							160,027
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2011				1,444,124				1,333,776				2,564,929				835,706				181,165				899,355			800,563							9,055,270
Consolidated net income				13,874				28,358				33,295				8,682				40				1,745			26,536							(146,740)
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2012
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	470	588,444	855,210	1,444,124	10,000	1,393,386	(69,610)	1,333,776	100,000	2,504,436	(39,507)	2,564,929	199,326	(690)	637,070	835,706	33,744	36,294	111,127	181,165	49,452	481,994	367,909	899,355	789,350	11,213	800,563	94,000	2,548	(5,680,468)	5,360,682	9,446,960	(168,452)	9,055,270
Consolidated net income	0	0	152,365	152,365	0	158,977	0	158,977	0	281,081	0	281,081	0	0	46,768	46,768	0	0	17,065	17,065	0	0	41,971	41,971	0	111,866	111,866	21,690	0	0	0	846,673	0	868,363
Member contribution					0	1,000	0	1,000	0	253,661	0	253,661
Other comprehensive income (loss)					0	0	4,381	4,381	0	0	(6,625)	(6,625)																0	0	0	0	0	(124,631)	(124,631)
Common stock repurchased, value																												0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans																												0	0	105,649	(2,830)	0	0	102,819
Common stock dividends declared	0	0	(10,000)	(10,000)	0	(114,200)	0	(114,200)	0	(15,600)	0	(15,600)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1,700)	(1,700)	0	0	(87,180)	(87,180)	0	(79,700)	(79,700)	0	0	0	0	(589,042)	0	(589,042)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	0	0	(6,873)	(6,873)	0	(825)	0	(825)	0	(6,950)	0	(6,950)	0	0	(2,828)	(2,828)	0	0	(965)	(965)								(21,690)	0	0	0	0	0	(21,690)
Other					0	(105)	0	(105)	0	0	0	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	470	588,444	990,702	1,579,616	10,000	1,438,233	(65,229)	1,383,004	100,000	3,016,628	(46,132)	3,070,496	199,326	(690)	681,010	879,646	33,744	36,294	125,527	195,565	49,452	481,994	322,700	854,146	789,350	43,379	832,729	94,000	2,548	(5,574,819)	5,357,852	9,704,591	(293,083)	9,291,089
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2012
Consolidated net income				10,185				30,020				36,864				(4,908)				(716)				4,788			19,346							301,850
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2012				$ 1,579,616				$ 1,383,004				$ 3,070,496				$ 879,646				$ 195,565				$ 854,146			$ 832,729							$ 9,291,089