Long - Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 System Energy [Member]	Aug. 31, 2010 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Jun. 30, 2010 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Texas [Member]	Apr. 30, 2007 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Jun. 30, 2007 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2009 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Nov. 30, 2009 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 EAI PCRB $45M, 2.375% [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 EAI PCRB $54.7M, 1.55% [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tranche A-3 (5.93%) Due June 2022 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tranche A-1 (5.51%) Due October 2013 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tranche A-1 (2.12%) Due February 2016 [Member] Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tranche A-2 (5.79%) Due October 2018 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tranche A-2 (3.65%) Due August 2019 [Member] Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Note Payable To NYPA [Member] item	Dec. 31, 2011 Note Payable To NYPA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Securitization Bonds, 2.30% Series Senior Secured, Due August 2021 [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Securitization Bonds, 2.04% Series Senior Secured, Due June 2021 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage																				2.375%	1.55%								2.30%	2.04%
Repayments of debt																				$ 45,000,000	$ 54,700,000
Number of annual installments of notes commencing one year from date of closing																											7
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing one year from the date of the closing																											108,000,000
Number of annual installments of notes commencing eight years from the date of closing																											8
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing eight years from the date of the closing																											20,000,000
Implicit interest rate on notes issued																											4.80%
Per year additional liability of non-utility nuclear business, in accordance with the purchase agreement																											10,000,000
Number of years of non-utility nuclear business liability for additional liability, in accordance with the purchase agreement	10 years
Payment made prior to maturity on the note payable																											102,000,000
Minimum rate of equity capital			35.00%
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs					11,500,000				207,200,000
Up front financing costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs					4,600,000
Value of non interest bearing first mortgage bonds	208,200,000			124,100,000
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds				2.30%					2.04%
2013	659,720,000		70,000,000				330,000,000																	39,400,000	21,900,000				12,600,000	16,600,000
2014	385,373,000						70,000,000			300,000,000														40,200,000	23,200,000				12,800,000	21,900,000
2015	860,566,000		60,000,000									200,000,000						41,200,000						13,800,000	24,600,000	27,400,000			13,200,000	20,500,000
2016	295,441,000						55,000,000			20,000,000		93,436,000													26,000,000	42,600,000			13,400,000	21,600,000
2017	1,561,801,000		50,000,000				114,700,000			25,000,000					27,600,000							4,000,000			23,600,000	44,100,000			13,800,000	21,700,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds						126,300,000								353,000,000			566,400,000
Amount of storm cost recovery bonds for transaction costs														6,000,000
Deferred income tax benefits														32,000,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	$ 973,480,000	$ 1,070,556,000					$ 101,547,000	$ 113,761,000		$ 181,553,000	$ 207,123,000	$ 690,380,000	$ 749,673,000		$ 329,500,000	$ 329,500,000		$ 545,900,000	$ 545,900,000			$ 114,400,000	$ 93,500,000	$ 182,500,000	$ 121,600,000	$ 144,800,000