Income Taxes (Significant Components Of Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes And Taxes Accrued) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Plant basis differences - net	$ (8,128,096)	$ (7,941,319)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(922,161)	(922,312)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(1,248,737)	(1,100,439)
Pension, net funding	(324,881)	(299,951)
Combined unitary state taxes	(162,340)	(183,934)
Power purchase agreements	(110,889)	(8,096)
Other	(500,424)	(404,749)
Total	(11,397,528)	(10,860,800)
Regulatory liabilities	458,230	403,370
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges	874,493	754,828
Pension and other post-employment benefits	586,455	469,190
Sale and leaseback	153,308	176,119
Compensation	74,692	125,552
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	100,442	106,777
Provision for allowances and contingencies	160,551	66,026
Net operating loss carryforwards	457,758	548,756
Capital losses and miscellaneous tax credits	12,146	13,140
Valuation allowance	(27,387)	(28,146)
Other	58,334	109,606
Total	2,909,022	2,745,218
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(606,560)	(400,276)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(9,095,066)	(8,515,858)
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,657,503)	(1,613,195)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(198,662)	(212,339)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(130,524)	(110,004)
Pension, net funding	(93,355)	(79,589)
Power purchase agreements	(17,073)	(7,053)
Deferred fuel	(82,050)	(26,946)
Other	(33,827)	(62,046)
Total	(2,212,994)	(2,111,172)
Regulatory liabilities	145,466	120,966
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges	(43,134)	(64,571)
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(17,534)	(12,132)
Compensation	2,085	7,131
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	14,791	15,281
Provision for allowances and contingencies	(7,149)	12,313
Net operating loss carryforwards	105,063	85,875
Other	258	3,682
Total	212,168	206,370
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	9,367	22,565
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,991,459)	(1,882,237)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	12,322	37,825
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,233,761)	(1,259,173)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(106,287)	(102,362)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(43,611)	(32,574)
Pension, net funding	(46,403)	(45,342)
Power purchase agreements	(67,083)	(20,234)
Deferred fuel	(3,034)	(4,361)
Other	(8,850)	(25,694)
Total	(1,509,029)	(1,489,740)
Regulatory liabilities	70,068	60,176
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges	48,815	49,439
Pension and other post-employment benefits	88,606	73,136
Compensation	641	4,701
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	33,941	35,297
Provision for allowances and contingencies	43,512	14,784
Other	8,102	4,939
Total	275,132	220,132
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(388,230)	(279,269)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,622,127)	(1,548,877)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	(18,553)	(22,340)
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,515,091)	(1,347,534)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(274,432)	(255,068)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(62,551)	(50,248)
Pension, net funding	(53,190)	(50,630)
Deferred fuel	(500)	(512)
Other	(75,432)	(69,194)
Total	(1,981,196)	(1,773,186)
Regulatory liabilities	111,533	94,019
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges	97,323	92,206
Pension and other post-employment benefits	70,055	62,999
Sale and leaseback	45,136	52,054
Compensation	(483)	3,470
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	24,922	25,913
Provision for allowances and contingencies	82,293	3,347
Net operating loss carryforwards	241,803	230,592
Other	7,406	4,148
Total	673,525	571,774
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(24,278)	25,512
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,331,949)	(1,175,900)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	(6,463)	3,026
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(753,576)	(727,545)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(30,114)	(33,277)
Pension, net funding	(27,861)	(24,392)
Power purchase agreements	2,129	0
Deferred fuel	(5,303)	(21,823)
Other	(11,423)	(10,732)
Total	(826,148)	(817,769)
Regulatory liabilities	7,214	8,357
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges		0
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(7,288)	(1,345)
Compensation	(846)	1,778
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	2,436	3,263
Provision for allowances and contingencies	19,590	13,066
Net operating loss carryforwards	0	19,400
Other	5,887	4,224
Total	43,453	61,707
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(12,481)	(6,290)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(795,176)	(762,352)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	12,956	6,791
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	3,504	6,173
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(186,153)	(196,726)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	0	0
Pension, net funding	(13,285)	(11,606)
Power purchase agreements	13	13
Deferred fuel	(407)	63
Other	(11,500)	(13,446)
Total	(211,332)	(221,702)
Regulatory liabilities	29,580	35,764
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges		0
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(7,504)	1,532
Compensation	475	1,696
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	332	416
Provision for allowances and contingencies	10,986	8,535
Other	2,891	2,930
Total	40,155	55,099
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(19,502)	(5,015)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(190,679)	(171,618)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	3,395	4,226
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Texas [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(771,135)	(759,263)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(202,402)	(205,402)
Pension, net funding	(25,616)	(23,598)
Power purchase agreements	847	1,269
Deferred fuel	2,045	(470)
Other	(22,546)	(58,963)
Total	(1,018,807)	(1,046,427)
Regulatory liabilities	4,079	7,952
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges		0
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(15,053)	(13,417)
Compensation	4,155	6,774
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	5,158	5,651
Provision for allowances and contingencies	8,017	5,980
Net operating loss carryforwards	0	0
Other	3,850	3,807
Total	21,779	27,402
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(48,921)	(37,777)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,045,949)	(1,056,802)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	11,573	10,655
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
System Energy [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(668,779)	(698,151)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(110,087)	(113,849)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(74,063)	(58,308)
Pension, net funding	(23,440)	(21,187)
Deferred fuel	(120)	(129)
Other	(19,802)	(8,969)
Total	(896,291)	(900,593)
Regulatory liabilities	90,290	76,135
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Restructuring Charges	(62,571)	(71,898)
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(1,413)	(2,073)
Sale and leaseback	108,172	124,065
Compensation	0	822
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	18,862	20,956
Provision for allowances and contingencies	133
Net operating loss carryforwards	0	0
Other	2,000	2,001
Total	155,473	150,008
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(81,528)	10,302
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(822,346)	(740,283)
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Other Federal [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	0	0
Other Federal [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	$ 0	$ 0