Income Taxes (Schedule Of Statutory Income Tax Rate To Income Before Taxes) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation	$ 296,267	$ 337,088	$ 365,001	$ (151,683)	$ 154,139	$ 628,054	$ 315,583	$ 248,663	$ 846,673	$ 1,346,439	$ 1,250,242
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									21,690	20,933	20,063
Consolidated net income	301,850	342,670	370,583	(146,740)	160,027	633,069	320,598	253,678	868,363	1,367,372	1,270,305
Income taxes (benefit)									30,855	286,263	617,239
Income before income taxes									899,218	1,653,635	1,887,544
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									314,726	578,772	660,640
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									40,699	93,940	40,530
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									35,527	39,970	31,473
Equity component of AFUDC									(30,838)	(30,184)	(16,542)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(14,000)	(14,962)	(15,980)
Net-of-tax regulatory liability									(4,356)	65,357
Deferred tax reversal on PPA settlement										(421,819)
IRS decommissioning settlement									(155,300)
Writeoff of reorganization costs											(19,974)
Tax law change-Medicare Part D											13,616
Write-Off Of Regulatory Asset For Income Taxes									42,159
Capital gains / (losses)									(20,188)
Flow-through / permanent differences									(14,801)	(17,848)	(26,370)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									(159,957)	2,698	(43,115)
Change in regulatory recovery
Other - net									(2,816)	(9,661)	(7,039)
Total income taxes as reported									30,855	286,263	617,239
Effective Income Tax Rate									3.40%	17.30%	32.70%
Statutory rate									35.00%
Parent Company [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									846,700	1,346,400	1,250,200
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									145,492	158,018	165,745
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									6,873	6,873	6,873
Consolidated net income	10,185	82,551	45,755	13,874	8,040	80,945	50,298	25,608	152,365	164,891	172,618
Income taxes (benefit)									94,806	132,765	112,944
Income before income taxes									247,171	297,656	285,562
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									86,510	104,180	99,947
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									11,282	13,727	13,156
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									6,778	10,079	6,126
Equity component of AFUDC									(2,495)	(3,363)	(144)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(1,992)	(1,992)	(2,983)
Flow-through / permanent differences									3,427	(1,365)	(1,235)
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses									(19,403)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									11,227	12,016	(2,100)
Other - net									(528)	(517)	177
Total income taxes as reported									94,806	132,765	112,944
Effective Income Tax Rate									38.40%	44.60%	39.60%
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									158,152	200,779	173,492
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									825	825	827
Consolidated net income	30,020	50,210	50,389	28,358	51,410	53,170	50,405	46,619	158,977	201,604	174,319
Income taxes (benefit)									52,616	89,736	92,297
Income before income taxes									211,593	291,340	266,616
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									74,058	101,969	93,316
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									5,087	9,618	1,142
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									8,472	8,379	(4,004)
Equity component of AFUDC									(3,042)	(3,181)	(1,547)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(3,204)	(3,336)	(3,309)
Flow-through / permanent differences									(7,646)	587	8,423
Non-taxable dividend income									(9,836)	(11,364)	(9,189)
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses									(17,703)	(5,694)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									8,745	(7,144)	7,200
Change in regulatory recovery									(553)
Other - net									(1,762)	(98)	265
Total income taxes as reported									52,616	89,736	92,297
Effective Income Tax Rate									24.90%	30.80%	34.60%
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									274,131	466,973	224,485
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									6,950	6,950	6,950
Consolidated net income	36,864	80,208	130,714	33,295	20,800	337,722	75,103	40,298	281,081	473,923	231,435
Income taxes (benefit)									(128,922)	(370,211)	66,546
Income before income taxes									152,159	103,712	297,981
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									53,256	36,299	104,293
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									1,976	943	(10,618)
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									312	1,404	7,374
Equity component of AFUDC									(12,919)	(11,315)	(8,361)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(3,089)	(3,168)	(3,192)
Net-of-tax regulatory liability									(4,356)	65,357
Deferred tax reversal on PPA settlement										(421,819)
Flow-through / permanent differences									1,397	(1,285)	(754)
Non-taxable dividend income									(27,336)	(27,336)	(23,603)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									(143,583)	(4,880)	2,200
Change in regulatory recovery									7,854
Other - net									(2,434)	(4,411)	(793)
Total income taxes as reported									(128,922)	(370,211)	66,546
Effective Income Tax Rate									(84.70%)	(357.00%)	22.30%
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									43,940	105,901	82,549
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									2,828	2,828	2,828
Consolidated net income	(4,908)	27,080	15,914	8,682	34,417	33,169	23,829	17,314	46,768	108,729	85,377
Income taxes (benefit)									58,679	28,801	50,111
Income before income taxes									105,447	137,530	135,488
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									36,906	48,136	47,421
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									3,944	3,211	1,245
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									2,619	2,038	3,455
Equity component of AFUDC									(1,383)	(2,963)	(1,643)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(264)	(960)	(972)
Flow-through / permanent differences									1,961	304	153
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses									14,449	(21,248)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									870	(2)	700
Other - net									(423)	285	(248)
Total income taxes as reported									58,679	28,801	50,111
Effective Income Tax Rate									55.60%	20.90%	37.00%
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation									16,100	35,011	30,149
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries									965	965	965
Consolidated net income	(716)	10,555	7,186	40	(101)	18,943	8,207	8,927	17,065	35,976	31,114
Income taxes (benefit)									7,240	15,862	16,601
Income before income taxes									24,305	51,838	47,715
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									8,507	18,143	16,700
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									505	3,350	1,387
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									2,289	3,860	3,999
Equity component of AFUDC									(276)	(215)	(184)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(240)	(295)	(313)
Flow-through / permanent differences									(4,385)	(4,983)	(4,883)
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses									2,758	(6,235)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									(2,095)	2,241	(300)
Other - net									177	(4)	195
Total income taxes as reported									7,240	15,862	16,601
Effective Income Tax Rate									29.80%	30.60%	34.80%
Entergy Texas [Member]
Consolidated net income	4,788	19,234	16,204	1,745	1,147	40,875	23,097	15,726	41,971	80,845	66,200
Income taxes (benefit)									33,118	49,492	42,383
Income before income taxes									75,089	130,337	108,583
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									26,281	45,618	38,004
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									3,115	2,033	424
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									3,668	4,003	4,089
Equity component of AFUDC									(1,587)	(1,322)	(1,525)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(1,596)	(1,596)	(1,596)
Flow-through / permanent differences									1,585	88	236
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses										(16)
Provision for uncertain tax positions									1,651	717	2,800
Other - net									1	(33)	(49)
Total income taxes as reported									33,118	49,492	42,383
Effective Income Tax Rate									44.10%	38.00%	39.00%
System Energy [Member]
Consolidated net income	19,346	30,616	35,368	26,536	8,612	14,263	21,986	19,336	111,866	64,197	82,624
Income taxes (benefit)									77,115	74,953	56,049
Income before income taxes									188,981	139,150	138,673
Computed at statutory rate (35%)									66,143	48,703	48,536
State income taxes net of federal income tax effect									6,652	4,436	2,206
Regulatory differences - utility plant items									11,389	10,207	10,435
Equity component of AFUDC									(9,136)	(7,825)	(3,138)
Amortization of investment tax credits									(3,480)	(3,480)	(3,480)
Flow-through / permanent differences									(357)	529	(497)
Benefit of Entergy Corporation expenses									(10,241)	16,559
Provision for uncertain tax positions									17,966	5,878	2,090
Other - net									(1,821)	(54)	(103)
Total income taxes as reported									$ 77,115	$ 74,953	$ 56,049
Effective Income Tax Rate									40.80%	53.90%	40.40%