Long - Term Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2003 Y	Nov. 30, 2000 Installment	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jul. 31, 2003 Note payable to NYPA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Note payable to NYPA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Note payable to NYPA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Long Term DOE Obligation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Long Term DOE Obligation [Member]	Nov. 30, 2000 Notes Payable Other Payables [Member] Commencing one year from date of closing [Member] Installment	Dec. 31, 2011 Notes Payable Other Payables [Member] Commencing eight year from date of closing [Member]	Jan. 31, 2012 Entergy Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2016 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2015 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2014 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Arkansas	Dec. 31, 2009 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2016 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2015 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2016 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2015 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Implicit Rate 4 Point 8 Percentage [Member] Notes Payable Other Payables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2015 Tranche A-1 (5.51%) due October 2013 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Tranche A-1 (5.51%) due October 2013 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Tranche A-1 (5.51%) due October 2013 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2015 Tranche A-2 (5.79%) due October 2018 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Tranche A-2 (5.79%) due October 2018 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Tranche A-2 (5.79%) due October 2018 [Member] Entergy Texas [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 4.70% series notes due 2017 [Member] Entergy Corporation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 1.875% mortgage bonds due 2014 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 1.1007% series notes due 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 1.1007% series notes due 2012 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lease obligations excluded from fair value of long term debt																$ 181,000,000																		$ 179,000,000	$ 188,000,000
Long Term Debt							133,363,000	155,971,000	181,031,000	180,919,000				12,236,446,000	11,616,705,000																											133,000,000
Number of annual installments of notes issued commencing one year from the date of the closing											7
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment											108,000,000
Number of annual installments of notes commencing eight years from date of closing		8
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing eight years from the date of the closing												20,000,000
Payment made prior to maturity on Note payable under purchase agreement						102,000,000
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%
Maturity date of storm cost recovery bonds																Aug. 01, 2021																			Jun. 01, 2021
2012			2,124,679,000																			12,200,000									20,800,000		38,600,000							25,600,000
2013			707,684,000																		12,600,000									21,900,000		39,400,000							16,600,000					18,500,000			2,300,000
2014			135,899,000																	12,800,000									23,200,000			40,200,000						21,900,000
2015			860,566,000																13,200,000									24,600,000				41,200,000					20,500,000
2016			344,850,000															13,400,000						26,000,000								42,600,000				21,600,000							13,800,000			27,400,000
Repurchase Agreements Interest Expense Amount																																																			161,000
Bonds issued to recover cost			1,070,556,000	931,131,000												113,761,000	124,066,000								749,673,000	807,066,000	329,500,000					545,900,000			207,123,000						0				93,500,000			121,600,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds																	126,300,000										353,000,000					566,400,000
Deferred income tax benefits			(311,708,000)	468,698,000	1,191,418,000																						32,000,000
Bonds issued to recover costs																											6,000,000
Issuance of senior notes																																																	500,000,000
Issuance of mortgage bonds																																																		250,000,000		750,000,000
Proceeds from repayments of borrowings													3,500,000,000										160,000,000
Long -Term Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Implicit interest rate of notes			4.80%
Due period of debt included in fair value of long term debt			1 year
Additional liability of non-utility nuclear business in accordance with the purchase agreement	$ 10,000,000
Period of additional liability related with purchase agreement	10
Minimum rate of equity capital			35.00%