Revenue Recognition (Disaggregation of Revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 3,104,319	$ 3,243,628	$ 8,496,970	$ 8,450,636
Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		2,697,887	2,793,798	7,276,374	7,056,758
Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		26,352	26,585	112,990	100,011
Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		380,080	423,245	1,107,606	1,293,867
Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,138,744		2,799,539
Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		693,760		1,871,380
Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		682,823		1,904,828
Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		60,647		173,949
Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	76,247		214,984
Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	42,847		289,668
Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	2,819		22,026
Non-Customer [Member] | Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	(27,683)		(40,854)
Competitive Business Sales [Member] | Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	407,763		1,148,460
Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		2,575,974		6,749,696
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		568,399		1,614,028
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		568,399	673,226	1,614,028	1,644,239
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		0		0
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		250,081		644,735
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		119,950		334,325
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		126,079		335,529
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		4,445		12,859
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	60,338		179,637
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	4,446		98,571
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	3,060		8,372
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		500,555		1,327,448
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,206,612	1,290,494	3,308,744	3,254,711
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,196,278	1,280,475	3,263,073	3,216,677
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		10,334	10,019	45,671	38,034
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		408,680		972,113
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		272,985		719,652
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		393,884		1,114,898
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		17,566		51,581
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	71,634		272,690
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	34,220		124,749
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	(2,691)		7,390
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,093,115		2,858,244
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		367,734		1,037,166
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		367,734	349,197	1,037,166	898,852
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		0		0
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		170,258		451,331
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		126,987		354,799
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		44,383		133,012
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		11,488		33,788
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	7,876		21,645
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	4,079		35,055
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	2,663		7,536
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		353,116		972,930
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		200,182	199,017	566,903	544,228
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		184,164	182,451	499,584	482,251
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		16,018	16,566	67,319	61,977
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		86,014		208,821
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		62,428		171,224
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		9,655		26,493
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		20,364		56,503
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	4,863		24,390
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	(1,107)		7,404
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	1,947		4,749
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		178,461		463,041
Entergy Texas [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		477,231		1,229,657
Entergy Texas [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		477,231	432,909	1,229,657	1,175,324
Entergy Texas [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		0		0
Entergy Texas [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		223,711		522,539
Entergy Texas [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		111,409		291,380
Entergy Texas [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		108,823		294,896
Entergy Texas [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		6,785		19,218
Entergy Texas [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	23,290		71,828
Entergy Texas [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]	2,735		28,468
Entergy Texas [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]	478		1,328
Entergy Texas [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		450,728		1,128,033
System Energy [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 78,965	$ 156,106	$ 339,864	$ 475,849

[1] Sales for resale and competitive businesses sales include day-ahead sales of energy in a market administered by an ISO. These sales represent financially binding commitments for the sale of physical energy the next day. These sales are adjusted to actual power generated and delivered in the real time market. Given the short duration of these transactions, Entergy does not consider them to be derivatives subject to fair value adjustments, and includes them as part of customer revenues.

[2] Other electric revenues consist primarily of transmission and ancillary services provided to participants of an ISO-administered market and unbilled revenue.

[3] Non-customer revenues include the settlement of financial hedges, occasional sales of inventory, alternative revenue programs, provisions for revenue subject to refund, and late fees.