Long - Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Apr. 30, 2007	Sep. 30, 2009	Jul. 31, 2003	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2007	Nov. 30, 2009
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of years of non-utility nuclear business liability for additional liability, in accordance with the purchase agreement	10 years
Year One	$ 310,566,000
Year Two	765,821,000
Year Three	266,801,000
Year Four	1,336,396,000
Year Five	1,492,107,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	784,862,000							883,013,000
System Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Minimum rate of equity capital	35.00%
Year One	60,000,000
Year Two	0
Year Three	50,000,000
Year Four	85,000,000
Year Five	0
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs			11,500,000
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		124,100,000.0
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds		2.30%
Year One	0
Year Two	55,000,000
Year Three	114,700,000
Year Four	0
Year Five	0
Bonds issued to recover cost	76,164,000							88,961,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs				207,200,000
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds				2.04%
Year One	0
Year Two	20,000,000
Year Three	25,000,000
Year Four	300,000,000
Year Five	0
Bonds issued to recover cost	143,039,000							164,965,000
Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One	200,000,000
Year Two	13,816,000
Year Three	0
Year Four	74,194,000
Year Five	644,800,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	565,659,000							629,087,000
Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One	24,600,000
Year Two	26,000,000
Year Three	27,600,000
Year Four	29,200,000
Year Five	30,900,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds					353,000,000
Amount of storm cost recovery bonds for transaction costs					6,000,000
Deferred income tax benefits					32,000,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	329,500,000								329,500,000
Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One	41,200,000
Year Two	42,600,000
Year Three	44,100,000
Year Four	45,800,000
Year Five	47,600,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds						566,400,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	545,900,000									545,900,000
Tranche A-3 (5.93%) Due June 2022 [Member] | Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Four	4,000,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	114,400,000
Tranche A-1 (5.51%) Due October 2013 [Member] | Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Bonds issued to recover cost	93,500,000
Tranche A-1 (2.12%) Due February 2016 [Member] | Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Two	13,800,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	182,500,000
Tranche A-2 (5.79%) Due October 2018 [Member] | Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Four	23,600,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	121,600,000
Tranche A-2 (3.65%) Due August 2019 [Member] | Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Two	27,400,000
Year Five	30,800,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	144,800,000
Tranche A-3 (4.38%) Due November 2023 [Member] | Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Five	15,000,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	218,600,000
Note Payable To NYPA [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of annual installments of notes commencing one year from date of closing	7
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing one year from the date of the closing	108,000,000
Number of annual installments of notes commencing eight years from the date of closing	8
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing eight years from the date of the closing	20,000,000
Implicit interest rate on notes issued	4.80%
Per year additional liability of non-utility nuclear business, in accordance with the purchase agreement	10,000,000
Payment made prior to maturity on the note payable							102,000,000
Securitization Bonds, 2.30% Series Senior Secured, Due August 2021 [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	2.30%							2.30%
Year One	13,200,000
Year Two	13,400,000
Year Three	13,800,000
Year Four	14,100,000
Year Five	14,400,000
Securitization Bonds, 2.04% Series Senior Secured, Due June 2021 [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	2.04%							2.04%
Year One	20,500,000
Year Two	21,600,000
Year Three	21,700,000
Year Four	22,300,000
Year Five	$ 22,700,000