Risk Management and Fair Values (Narrative) (Details) MWh in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) MWh MMBTU counterparty	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) counterparty	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Included in earnings	$ 3,000	$ 120,000	$ (35,000)
Cash Collateral Requirement	$ 68,000	$ 25,000
Number of Hedge Contracts Counterparties | counterparty	2	1
Cash flow hedges relating to power sales as part of net unrealized gains	$ (167,000)
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (OCI) to operating revenues	(154,000)
Maturity of cash flow hedges, Tax	$ (85,000)	$ (68,000)	18,000
Planned generation sold forward from non utility nuclear power plants	86.00%
Planned Generation Sold Forward under financial derivatives	62.00%
Planned Generation Under Normal Purchase Sold Under Financial Derivatives | MWh	36,000
Change in cash flow hedges due to ineffectiveness	$ 150	7,000	$ (6,000)
Hedge Contracts In Liability Position	$ 2,000	$ 1,000
Total volume of natural gas swaps outstanding (MMBtu) | MMBTU	39,816,000
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	46,355
Cash collateral posted	$ 9,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	9,726
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Total volume of natural gas swaps outstanding (MMBtu) | MMBTU	32,140,000
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	21,383
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Total volume of natural gas swaps outstanding (MMBtu) | MMBTU	7,010,000
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	6,160
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Total volume of natural gas swaps outstanding (MMBtu) | MMBTU	666,000
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	3,517
Entergy Texas [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Total volume of FTRs outstanding (MWh) | MWh	5,294
Maximum [Member]
Risk Management and Fair Values [Abstract]
Hedging the Variability in Future Cash Flow, Period	2 years