Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock, Common	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Corporation [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 11,705,394	$ 68,110	$ 6,766,239	$ 10,240,552	$ (332,528)	$ 2,720	$ (5,039,699)	$ 2,483,206	$ 38,750	$ 1,050,125	$ 1,344,879	$ 49,452	$ 1,839,568	$ 1,839,568	$ 0	$ 3,575,855	$ 3,542,745	$ 33,110	$ 8,180,572	$ 8,172,294	$ 8,278	$ 0	$ 638,715	$ 1,091,360	$ 139,510	$ 951,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,580	4,580	0	0	0	0	0	518	0	0	518	0															$ 4,000
Consolidated net income	279,593	3,193	0	276,400	0	0	0	50,403	0	0	50,403	0	30,355	30,355	0	65,567	66,954	(1,387)	150,860	150,860	0	0	15,126	31,432	31,432	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,058)	0	0	(205,058)	0	0	0												(125,000)	(125,000)	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(4,050)	0	0	0	(4,050)	0	0												(613)	0	(613)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(5,527)	0	31,085	0	0	0	(36,612)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	7,501							1,036					0			(1,916)			258
Consolidated net income	$ 443,604							147,888					79,309			128,677			467,519				34,672	(348,716)
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 2.02
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	$ (9,159)
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	9,595												9,595
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,490																		(1,104)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,776,826	66,723	6,735,154	10,311,894	(336,578)	2,720	(5,003,087)	2,533,091	38,750	1,050,125	1,394,764	49,452	1,869,923	1,869,923	0	3,641,422	3,609,699	31,723	8,205,806	8,198,141	7,665	0	653,841	1,122,792	170,942	951,850
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,308							518					0			(529)			258
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,580	4,580	0	0	0	0	0	518	0	0	518	0															4,000
Consolidated net income	164,011	4,308	0	159,703	0	0	0	97,485	0	0	97,485	0	48,955	48,955	0	63,110	63,639	(529)	316,659	316,401	0	258	19,546	(380,148)	(380,148)	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,408)	0	0	(205,408)	0	0	0									(36,000)	(36,000)	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	31,636	31,636	0	0	0	0	0												31,636	0	0	31,636
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	$ (190)	(190)	0	0	0	0	0									(190)	0	(190)
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	$ 9,595	9,595	0	0	0	0	0						9,595	0	9,595
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,540	0	0	0	12,540	0	0												(491)	0	(491)	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																			1,000,000	1,000,000	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(34,141)	0	(15,214)	0	0	0	(18,927)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,818,571	107,492	6,750,368	10,266,189	(324,038)	2,720	(4,984,160)	2,630,058	38,750	1,050,125	1,491,731	49,452	1,928,473	1,918,878	9,595	3,668,342	3,637,338	31,004	9,553,597	9,514,529	7,174	31,894	673,387	742,644	(209,206)	951,850
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	13,064,892	97,907	7,632,895	10,502,041	(191,754)	2,797	(4,978,994)	2,679,461	38,750	1,050,125	1,541,134	49,452	2,040,537	2,037,190	3,347	3,781,815	3,753,990	27,825	9,493,448	9,406,343	55,370	31,735	702,816	949,767	(137,083)	1,086,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,580	4,580	0	0	0	0	0	518	0	0	518	0															4,000
Consolidated net income	312,299	1,364	0	310,935	0	0	0	41,673	0	0	41,673	0	20,940	23,081	(2,141)	59,397	61,026	(1,629)	244,024	243,470	0	554	10,142	27,545	27,545	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(226,194)	0	0	(226,194)	0	0	0						(12,500)	(12,500)	0	(80,000)	(80,000)	0	(160,250)	(160,250)	0	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	14,577	14,577	0	0	0	0	0												14,577	0	0	14,577
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(574)	(574)	0	0	0	0	0									(104)	0	(104)	(470)	0	0	(470)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	2,027	0	0	0	2,027	0	0												(786)	0	(786)	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																			1,457,676	1,457,676	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(4,481)	0	15,118	0	0	0	(19,599)
Other																			(28)	(28)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	2,133							1,036					(5,764)			(2,635)			1,373
Consolidated net income	$ 704,312							130,130					79,205			126,344			507,284				23,999	53,304
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 2.14
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	$ (9,159)
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	25,708												25,708
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,265)																		(2,559)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	13,166,928	108,694	7,617,777	10,586,782	(189,727)	2,797	(4,959,395)	2,720,616	38,750	1,050,125	1,582,289	49,452	2,048,977	2,047,771	1,206	3,761,108	3,735,016	26,092	11,048,191	10,947,211	54,584	46,396	712,958	977,312	(109,538)	1,086,850
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	770							518					(3,623)			(1,006)			819
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,580	4,580	0	0	0	0	0	518	0	0	518	0															$ 4,000
Consolidated net income	392,014	770	0	391,244	0	0	0	88,457	0	0	88,457	0	58,265	61,888	(3,623)	66,948	67,954	(1,006)	263,260	262,441	0	819	13,857	25,759	25,759	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(226,248)	0	0	(226,248)	0	0	0						(27,500)	(27,500)	0	(9,000)	(9,000)	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	$ (113)	(113)	0	0	0	0	0									(113)	0	(113)
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.07
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	$ 25,708	25,708	0	0	0	0	0						25,708	0	25,708
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(3,292)	0	0	0	(3,292)	0	0												(1,773)	0	(1,773)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(17,128)	0	(16,528)	0	0	0	(600)
Other																			15	15	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 13,367,545	$ 130,479	$ 7,634,305	$ 10,751,778	$ (193,019)	$ 2,797	$ (4,958,795)	$ 2,808,555	$ 38,750	$ 1,050,125	$ 1,670,228	$ 49,452	$ 2,105,450	$ 2,082,159	$ 23,291	$ 3,818,943	$ 3,793,970	$ 24,973	$ 11,309,693	$ 11,209,667	$ 52,811	$ 47,215	$ 726,815	$ 1,003,071	$ (83,779)	$ 1,086,850