Income Taxes (Schedule Of Estimated Tax Attributes Carryovers And Their Expiration Dates) (Details) (USD $)																													12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal And State [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal And State [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal And State [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Other Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal And State [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Other Federal [Member] System Energy [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating losses, Carryover Amount			$ 12,600,000,000	$ 12,600,000,000	$ 1,300,000,000	$ 321,000,000	$ 2,300,000,000	$ 155,000,000	$ 81,000,000	$ 60,000,000	$ 875,000,000	$ 11,200,000,000	$ 11,200,000,000	$ 48,000,000	$ 852,000,000	$ 3,200,000,000		$ 94,000,000		$ 220,000,000
Operating losses, Year(s) of expiration																													2028	2028	2029	2028	2029	2030	2029	2029	2013	2013	2024	2023		2025		2029								-2032	2032	2031	2030	2032	3032	2032	2032	2032	-2032	2032	2026	2025	2027		2027		2030
Capital losses, Carryover Amount	13,631,000	12,995,000										177,000,000	177,000,000
Capital losses, Year(s) of expiration																																					2013																								-2015
Tax credits, Carryover Amount					$ 2,000,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 4,000,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 1,000,000		$ 2,000,000						$ 10,100,000		$ 4,200,000	$ 15,600,000	$ 81,900,000	$ 81,900,000	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Tax credits, Year(s) of expiration																																						2013			2016		2013	2015	2013	2013	2024	2026	2024	2024	2024											2032			2013	2016		2027	2016	-2032	2015	2031	2031	2031	2031	2031	2031