Retirement, Other Postretirement Benefits, And Defined Contribution Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 plan	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 01, 1993
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	$ 3,638,295,000	$ 2,320,704,000
Current pension liability	57,994,000	67,419,000
Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	4,827,785,000	4,429,237,000
Change in Plan Assets
Number of qualified pension plans	9
Mandatory employee contribution under Retirement Plan III	3.00%
Mandatory contribution plan participation period	10 years
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	6,600,000,000	5,200,000,000
Net periodic benefit costs	216,477,000	352,125,000	264,281,000
Amortization of prior credit	1,600,000	2,125,000	2,733,000
Expected contributions in 2013	396,000,000
Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	4,827,966,000	4,429,237,000	3,832,860,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	7,230,542,000	5,770,999,000	6,096,639,000
non-current pension liability	2,402,576,000	1,341,762,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	672,697,000	385,212,000
Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation				241,400,000
Period of amortization of accumulated postretirement benefit obligations	20 years
Expected contributions in 2013	66,900,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	130,600,000	131,400,000
Net periodic benefit costs	32,400,000	54,500,000	26,500,000
Settlement charges related to the payment of lump sum benefits out of the plan	15,100,000	33,000,000	6,300,000
Projected benefit obligation	151,800,000	154,300,000
non-current pension liability	135,600,000	127,500,000
Current pension liability	16,200,000	26,800,000
Amortization of prior credit	60,300,000	59,100,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	23,500,000	26,100,000
Cash Balance Pension Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	181,000
Defined Contribution Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Subsidiaries' contribution to defined contribution plan	43,300,000	44,500,000	43,700,000
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Employees' Gross Pay	6.00%
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	571,870,000	319,211,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	1,379,108,000	1,107,023,000
Net periodic benefit costs	42,365,000	69,013,000	53,064,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	23,000	200,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	977,521,000	896,295,000	785,527,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	1,485,718,000	1,192,640,000	1,274,886,000
non-current pension liability	508,197,000	296,345,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Period of amortization of regulatory asset	15 years
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	4,086,000	3,765,000
Net periodic benefit costs	754,000	448,000	464,000
Projected benefit obligation	4,495,000	4,162,000
non-current pension liability	4,148,000	3,795,000
Current pension liability	347,000	367,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	0	0
Settlement charges	337,000		38,000
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	401,144,000	274,315,000
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	649,932,000	530,974,000
Net periodic benefit costs	18,611,000	31,013,000	19,774,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	9,000	19,000
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	501,826,000	469,295,000	409,971,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	709,994,000	579,862,000	623,068,000
non-current pension liability	208,168,000	110,567,000
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] | Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation				128,000,000
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	2,693,000	2,510,000
Net periodic benefit costs	130,000	151,000	158,000
Projected benefit obligation	2,693,000	2,511,000
non-current pension liability	2,452,000	2,249,000
Current pension liability	241,000	262,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	98,000	57,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	530,844,000	358,017,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	873,759,000	697,945,000
Net periodic benefit costs	30,779,000	49,316,000	37,445,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	83,000	208,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	611,533,000	561,892,000	489,027,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	956,541,000	761,350,000	817,745,000
non-current pension liability	345,008,000	199,458,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	131,000	50,000
Net periodic benefit costs	5,000	12,000	12,000
Projected benefit obligation	158,000	50,000
non-current pension liability	140,000	44,000
Current pension liability	18,000	6,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	0	0
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	135,156,000	66,722,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	399,300,000	318,941,000
Net periodic benefit costs	9,988,000	16,283,000	12,306,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	10,000	30,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	301,250,000	281,837,000	248,272,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	432,169,000	345,824,000	369,852,000
non-current pension liability	130,919,000	63,987,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	1,761,000	1,528,000
Net periodic benefit costs	190,000	192,000	183,000
Projected benefit obligation	2,128,000	1,752,000
non-current pension liability	2,009,000	1,634,000
Current pension liability	119,000	118,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	0	0
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	62,440,000	32,497,000
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	186,473,000	150,239,000
Net periodic benefit costs	6,607,000	10,413,000	8,457,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	2,000	7,000
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	133,344,000	122,960,000	106,778,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	202,555,000	163,707,000	174,585,000
non-current pension liability	69,211,000	40,747,000
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	436,000	387,000
Net periodic benefit costs	95,000	92,000	79,000
Projected benefit obligation	476,000	434,000
non-current pension liability	453,000	414,000
Current pension liability	23,000	20,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	0	0
Entergy Texas [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	111,011,000	51,253,000
Entergy Texas [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	391,296,000	332,484,000
Net periodic benefit costs	8,521,000	16,223,000	10,376,000
Amortization of prior credit	0	6,000	15,000
Entergy Texas [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	310,713,000	295,751,000	262,110,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	418,498,000	356,080,000	382,176,000
non-current pension liability	107,785,000	60,329,000
Entergy Texas [Member] | Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	9,215,000	7,496,000
Net periodic benefit costs	491,000	1,001,000	648,000
Projected benefit obligation	9,567,000	7,910,000
non-current pension liability	8,814,000	7,124,000
Current pension liability	753,000	786,000
Accumulated other comprehensive income (before taxes)	0	0
Settlement charges	16,000	415,000
System Energy [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
non-current pension liability	129,152,000	79,411,000
System Energy [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Accumulated pension benefit obligation	305,556,000	247,807,000
Net periodic benefit costs	12,229,000	13,702,000	11,485,000
Amortization of prior credit	2,000	9,000	13,000
System Energy [Member] | Qualified Pension Obligations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	217,621,000	196,328,000	168,697,000
Change in Plan Assets
Projected benefit obligation	334,312,000	270,789,000	282,841,000
non-current pension liability	$ 116,691,000	$ 74,461,000
Minimum [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Voluntary employee contributions under Retirement Plan III	1.00%
Minimum [Member] | Defined Contribution Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Match	70.00%
Maximum [Member] | Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Voluntary employee contributions under Retirement Plan III	10.00%
Maximum [Member] | Defined Contribution Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Defined Contribution Plan, Employer Matching Contribution, Percent of Match	100.00%
Domestic Equity Securities [Member] | Non-Taxables [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	39.00%
Domestic Equity Securities [Member] | Qualified Pension And Other Postretirement Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	45.00%
International Equity Securities [Member] | Non-Taxables [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	26.00%
International Equity Securities [Member] | Qualified Pension And Other Postretirement Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	20.00%
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Non-Taxables [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	35.00%
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Qualified Pension And Other Postretirement Plans [Member]
Change in Plan Assets
Target asset allocation	35.00%