Variable Interest Entities	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES	NOTE 18. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy) Under applicable authoritative accounting guidance, a variable interest entity (VIE) is an entity that conducts a business or holds property that possesses any of the following characteristics: an insufficient amount of equity at risk to finance its activities, equity owners who do not have the power to direct the significant activities of the entity (or have voting rights that are disproportionate to their ownership interest), or where equity holders do not receive expected losses or returns. An entity may have an interest in a VIE through ownership or other contractual rights or obligations, and is required to consolidate a VIE if it is the VIE’s primary beneficiary. The FASB issued authoritative accounting guidance that became effective in the first quarter 2010 that revised the manner in which entities evaluate whether consolidation is required for VIEs. Under the revised guidance, the primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance, and has the obligation to absorb losses or has the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity. In conjunction with the adoption of the new guidance, Entergy updated reviews of its contracts and arrangements to determine whether Entergy is the primary beneficiary of a VIE based on the revisions to the previous consolidation model and other provisions of this standard. Based on this review Entergy determined that Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy should consolidate the respective companies from which they lease nuclear fuel, usually in a sale and leaseback transaction. This determination is because Entergy directs the nuclear fuel companies with respect to nuclear fuel purchases, assists the nuclear fuel companies in obtaining financing, and, if financing cannot be arranged, the lessee (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy) is responsible to repurchase nuclear fuel to allow the nuclear fuel company (the VIE) to meet its obligations. Under the previous guidance, the determination of the primary beneficiary of a VIE was based on ownership interests and the risks and rewards in the entity attributable to the variable interest holders. Therefore, the Entergy companies did not previously consolidate the nuclear fuel companies. Because Entergy has historically accounted for the leases with the nuclear fuel companies as capital lease obligations, the effect of consolidating the nuclear fuel companies did not materially affect Entergy’s financial statements. During the term of the arrangements, none of the Entergy operating companies have been required to provide financial support apart from their scheduled lease payments. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of the nuclear fuel companies’ credit facility and commercial paper borrowings and long-term debt that are reported by Entergy, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. These amounts also represent Entergy’s and the respective Registrant Subsidiary’s maximum exposure to losses associated with their respective interests in the nuclear fuel companies. Entergy Texas determined that Entergy Gulf States Reconstruction Funding I, LLC, and Entergy Texas Restoration Funding, LLC, companies wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Texas, are variable interest entities and that Entergy Texas is the primary beneficiary. In June 2007, Entergy Gulf States Reconstruction Funding issued senior secured transition bonds (securitization bonds) to finance Entergy Texas’s Hurricane Rita reconstruction costs. In November 2009, Entergy Texas Restoration Funding issued senior secured transition bonds (securitization bonds) to finance Entergy Texas’s Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav restoration costs. With the proceeds, the variable interest entities purchased from Entergy Texas the transition property, which is the right to recover from customers through a transition charge amounts sufficient to service the securitization bonds. The transition property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Texas balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Texas do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of the variable interest entities, including the transition property, and the creditors of the variable interest entities do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Texas. Entergy Texas has no payment obligations to the variable interest entities except to remit transition charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the securitization bonds. Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding, LLC, a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Arkansas, is a variable interest entity and Entergy Arkansas is the primary beneficiary. In August 2010, Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding issued storm cost recovery bonds to finance Entergy Arkansas’s January 2009 ice storm damage restoration costs. With the proceeds, Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding purchased from Entergy Arkansas the storm recovery property, which is the right to recover from customers through a storm recovery charge amounts sufficient to service the securitization bonds. The storm recovery property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Arkansas balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Arkansas do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding, including the storm recovery property, and the creditors of Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Arkansas. Entergy Arkansas has no payment obligations to Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding except to remit storm recovery charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the storm cost recovery bonds. Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding I, L.L.C., a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Louisiana, is a variable interest entity and Entergy Louisiana is the primary beneficiary. In September 2011, Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding issued investment recovery bonds to recover Entergy Louisiana’s investment recovery costs associated with the cancelled Little Gypsy repowering project. With the proceeds, Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding purchased from Entergy Louisiana the investment recovery property, which is the right to recover from customers through an investment recovery charge amounts sufficient to service the bonds. The investment recovery property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Louisiana balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Louisiana do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding, including the investment recovery property, and the creditors of Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana has no payment obligations to Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding except to remit investment recovery charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the investment recovery bonds. Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are also considered to each hold a variable interest in the lessors from which they lease undivided interests representing approximately 9.3% of the Waterford 3 and 11.5% of the Grand Gulf nuclear plants, respectively. Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are the lessees under these arrangements, which are described in more detail in Note 10 to the financial statements. Entergy Louisiana made payments on its lease, including interest, of $50.4 million in 2011, $35.1 million in 2010, and $32.5 million in 2009. System Energy made payments on its lease, including interest, of $49.4 million in 2011, $48.6 million in 2010, and $47.8 million in 2009. The lessors are banks acting in the capacity of owner trustee for the benefit of equity investors in the transactions pursuant to trust agreements entered solely for the purpose of facilitating the lease transactions. It is possible that Entergy Louisiana and System Energy may be considered as the primary beneficiary of the lessors, but Entergy is unable to apply the revised authoritative accounting guidance with respect to these VIEs because the lessors are not required to, and could not, provide the necessary financial information to consolidate the lessors. Because Entergy accounts for these leasing arrangements as capital financings, however, Entergy believes that consolidating the lessors would not materially affect the financial statements. In the unlikely event of default under a lease, remedies available to the lessor include payment by the lessee of the fair value of the undivided interest in the plant, payment of the present value of the basic rent payments, or payment of a predetermined casualty value. Entergy believes, however, that the obligations recorded on the balance sheets materially represent each company’s potential exposure to loss. Entergy has also reviewed various lease arrangements, power purchase agreements, and other agreements in which it holds a variable interest. In these cases, Entergy has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the related VIE because it does not have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance, or it does not have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity, or both.

Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Variable Interest Entities [Abstract]

NOTE 18. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Under applicable authoritative accounting guidance, a variable interest entity (VIE) is an entity that conducts a business or holds property that possesses any of the following characteristics: an insufficient amount of equity at risk to finance its activities, equity owners who do not have the power to direct the significant activities of the entity (or have voting rights that are disproportionate to their ownership interest), or where equity holders do not receive expected losses or returns. An entity may have an interest in a VIE through ownership or other contractual rights or obligations, and is required to consolidate a VIE if it is the VIE’s primary beneficiary.

The FASB issued authoritative accounting guidance that became effective in the first quarter 2010 that revised the manner in which entities evaluate whether consolidation is required for VIEs. Under the revised guidance, the primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance, and has the obligation to absorb losses or has the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity. In conjunction with the adoption of the new guidance, Entergy updated reviews of its contracts and arrangements to determine whether Entergy is the primary beneficiary of a VIE based on the revisions to the previous consolidation model and other provisions of this standard. Based on this review Entergy determined that Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy should consolidate the respective companies from which they lease nuclear fuel, usually in a sale and leaseback transaction. This determination is because Entergy directs the nuclear fuel companies with respect to nuclear fuel purchases, assists the nuclear fuel companies in obtaining financing, and, if financing cannot be arranged, the lessee (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy) is responsible to repurchase nuclear fuel to allow the nuclear fuel company (the VIE) to meet its obligations. Under the previous guidance, the determination of the primary beneficiary of a VIE was based on ownership interests and the risks and rewards in the entity attributable to the variable interest holders. Therefore, the Entergy companies did not previously consolidate the nuclear fuel companies. Because Entergy has historically accounted for the leases with the nuclear fuel companies as capital lease obligations, the effect of consolidating the nuclear fuel companies did not materially affect Entergy’s financial statements. During the term of the arrangements, none of the Entergy operating companies have been required to provide financial support apart from their scheduled lease payments. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of the nuclear fuel companies’ credit facility and commercial paper borrowings and long-term debt that are reported by Entergy, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. These amounts also represent Entergy’s and the respective Registrant Subsidiary’s maximum exposure to losses associated with their respective interests in the nuclear fuel companies.

Entergy Texas determined that Entergy Gulf States Reconstruction Funding I, LLC, and Entergy Texas Restoration Funding, LLC, companies wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Texas, are variable interest entities and that Entergy Texas is the primary beneficiary. In June 2007, Entergy Gulf States Reconstruction Funding issued senior secured transition bonds (securitization bonds) to finance Entergy Texas’s Hurricane Rita reconstruction costs. In November 2009, Entergy Texas Restoration Funding issued senior secured transition bonds (securitization bonds) to finance Entergy Texas’s Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav restoration costs. With the proceeds, the variable interest entities purchased from Entergy Texas the transition property, which is the right to recover from customers through a transition charge amounts sufficient to service the securitization bonds. The transition property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Texas balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Texas do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of the variable interest entities, including the transition property, and the creditors of the variable interest entities do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Texas. Entergy Texas has no payment obligations to the variable interest entities except to remit transition charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the securitization bonds.

Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding, LLC, a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Arkansas, is a variable interest entity and Entergy Arkansas is the primary beneficiary. In August 2010, Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding issued storm cost recovery bonds to finance Entergy Arkansas’s January 2009 ice storm damage restoration costs. With the proceeds, Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding purchased from Entergy Arkansas the storm recovery property, which is the right to recover from customers through a storm recovery charge amounts sufficient to service the securitization bonds. The storm recovery property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Arkansas balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Arkansas do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding, including the storm recovery property, and the creditors of Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Arkansas. Entergy Arkansas has no payment obligations to Entergy Arkansas Restoration Funding except to remit storm recovery charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the storm cost recovery bonds.

Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding I, L.L.C., a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Louisiana, is a variable interest entity and Entergy Louisiana is the primary beneficiary. In September 2011, Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding issued investment recovery bonds to recover Entergy Louisiana’s investment recovery costs associated with the cancelled Little Gypsy repowering project. With the proceeds, Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding purchased from Entergy Louisiana the investment recovery property, which is the right to recover from customers through an investment recovery charge amounts sufficient to service the bonds. The investment recovery property is reflected as a regulatory asset on the consolidated Entergy Louisiana balance sheet. The creditors of Entergy Louisiana do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding, including the investment recovery property, and the creditors of Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding do not have recourse to the assets or revenues of Entergy Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana has no payment obligations to Entergy Louisiana Investment Recovery Funding except to remit investment recovery charge collections. See Note 5 to the financial statements for additional details regarding the investment recovery bonds.

Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are also considered to each hold a variable interest in the lessors from which they lease undivided interests representing approximately 9.3% of the Waterford 3 and 11.5% of the Grand Gulf nuclear plants, respectively. Entergy Louisiana and System Energy are the lessees under these arrangements, which are described in more detail in Note 10 to the financial statements. Entergy Louisiana made payments on its lease, including interest, of $50.4 million in 2011, $35.1 million in 2010, and $32.5 million in 2009. System Energy made payments on its lease, including interest, of $49.4 million in 2011, $48.6 million in 2010, and $47.8 million in 2009. The lessors are banks acting in the capacity of owner trustee for the benefit of equity investors in the transactions pursuant to trust agreements entered solely for the purpose of facilitating the lease transactions. It is possible that Entergy Louisiana and System Energy may be considered as the primary beneficiary of the lessors, but Entergy is unable to apply the revised authoritative accounting guidance with respect to these VIEs because the lessors are not required to, and could not, provide the necessary financial information to consolidate the lessors. Because Entergy accounts for these leasing arrangements as capital financings, however, Entergy believes that consolidating the lessors would not materially affect the financial statements. In the unlikely event of default under a lease, remedies available to the lessor include payment by the lessee of the fair value of the undivided interest in the plant, payment of the present value of the basic rent payments, or payment of a predetermined casualty value. Entergy believes, however, that the obligations recorded on the balance sheets materially represent each company’s potential exposure to loss.

Entergy has also reviewed various lease arrangements, power purchase agreements, and other agreements in which it holds a variable interest. In these cases, Entergy has determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of the related VIE because it does not have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE’s economic performance, or it does not have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to residual returns that would potentially be significant to the entity, or both.