Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 35,811	$ 43,762
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,403	75,694
Expected return on assets	(97,366)	(98,655)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	270	390
Amortization of loss	48,824	58,981
Defined Benefit Plan, Special Termination Benefits	0	76
Net other postretirement benefit cost	52,942	80,248
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,181	6,661
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,055	15,471
Expected return on assets	(19,772)	(20,026)
Amortization of loss	10,936	13,564
Net other postretirement benefit cost	9,400	15,670
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	7,049	8,599
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,870	17,367
Expected return on assets	(22,096)	(22,701)
Amortization of loss	11,946	14,951
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,769	18,216
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,562	1,982
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,811	4,502
Expected return on assets	(5,981)	(6,105)
Amortization of loss	2,985	3,724
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,377	4,103
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	656	849
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,814	2,108
Expected return on assets	(2,687)	(2,725)
Amortization of loss	1,615	2,013
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,398	2,245
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,416	1,645
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,557	4,354
Expected return on assets	(6,062)	(6,222)
Amortization of loss	2,340	3,238
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,251	3,015
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,566	1,957
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,992	3,493
Expected return on assets	(4,459)	(4,568)
Amortization of loss	2,604	3,264
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,703	4,146
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,073	11,326
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,083	17,984
Expected return on assets	(10,455)	(11,344)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(11,373)	(9,320)
Amortization of loss	4,554	7,893
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,882	16,539
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	978	1,739
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,324	3,130
Expected return on assets	(4,464)	(4,798)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,368)	(610)
Amortization of loss	1,064	1,339
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,466)	800
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,869	2,474
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,260	4,078
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,947)	(1,867)
Amortization of loss	731	1,780
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,913	6,465
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	386	507
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	709	859
Expected return on assets	(1,379)	(1,542)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(234)	(229)
Amortization of loss	223	215
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(295)	(190)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	156	205
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	448	652
Expected return on assets	(1,154)	(1,201)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(177)
Amortization of loss	37	118
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(699)	(403)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	398	500
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,039	1,342
Expected return on assets	(2,394)	(2,588)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(681)	(681)
Amortization of loss	537	685
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,101)	(742)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	334	470
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	529	628
Expected return on assets	(814)	(911)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(393)	(366)
Amortization of loss	287	300
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(57)	121
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,300	4,500
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	106	113
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	59	68
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	59	59
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16	16
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 127	$ 149