Commitments and Contingencies Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) (Details)	1 Months Ended									9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) MW	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	May 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) MW	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Other Receivables		$ 227,278,000						$ 178,364,000		$ 227,278,000		$ 178,364,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Other Receivables		8,328,000						8,276,000		8,328,000		8,276,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Other Receivables		81,260,000						84,216,000		81,260,000		84,216,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | ANO [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Incremental NRC Inspection Costs												53,000,000
Litigation Settlement, Amount				$ 31,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs		6,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance		6,000,000
Plant balance reduction		6,000,000
Previously recorded nuclear fuel expense		$ 19,000,000
NRC inspection costs excluding remediation and response costs										$ 37,000,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | ANO [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs excluding remediation and response costs											$ 50,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Capacity Supply Obligations in ISO New England | MW		677								677
NRC inspection costs										$ 20,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point 3 and FitzPatrick [Domain]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount								81,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point 3 [Domain]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs								45,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance								2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense								8,000,000
Plant balance reduction								37,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Fitzpatrick [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs								32,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance								2,000,000
Plant balance reduction								11,000,000
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant								0				0
Reduction to operation and maintenance expense								21,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Vermont Yankee [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount						$ 19,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs					$ 15,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance					4,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense					2,000,000
Reduction to operation and maintenance expense					13,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Palisades [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount		$ 14,000,000							$ 21,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs		45,000,000								45,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs		60,000,000								60,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs											$ 30,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Indian Point 2 [Domain]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount	$ 34,000,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Other Receivables		108,213,000						56,793,000		108,213,000		56,793,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | River Bend [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount		5,000,000					$ 42,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs							17,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance							2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense							3,000,000
Plant balance reduction							14,000,000
Previously recorded nuclear fuel expense							$ 23,000,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Waterford Three [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount			$ 53,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs		41,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance		2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense		3,000,000
Plant balance reduction		38,000,000
Previously recorded nuclear fuel expense		10,000,000
System Energy [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Other Receivables		$ 1,217,000						$ 4,574,000		$ 1,217,000		$ 4,574,000
System Energy [Member] | Grand Gulf [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount					$ 49,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs			16,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance			9,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense			4,000,000
Plant balance reduction			12,000,000
Previously recorded nuclear fuel expense			$ 19,000,000