Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 35,811	$ 43,762	$ 107,433	$ 131,286
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,403	75,694	196,209	227,082
Expected return on assets	(97,366)	(98,655)	(292,098)	(295,965)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	270	390	810	1,170
Amortization of loss	48,824	58,981	146,472	176,943
Defined Benefit Plan, Special Termination Benefits			0	76
Net other postretirement benefit cost	52,942	80,172	158,826	240,592
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,181	6,661	15,543	19,983
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,055	15,471	39,165	46,413
Expected return on assets	(19,772)	(20,026)	(59,316)	(60,078)
Amortization of loss	10,936	13,564	32,808	40,692
Net other postretirement benefit cost	9,400	15,670	28,200	47,010
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	7,049	8,599	21,147	25,797
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,870	17,367	44,610	52,101
Expected return on assets	(22,096)	(22,701)	(66,288)	(68,103)
Amortization of loss	11,946	14,951	35,838	44,853
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,769	18,216	35,307	54,648
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,562	1,982	4,686	5,946
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,811	4,502	11,433	13,506
Expected return on assets	(5,981)	(6,105)	(17,943)	(18,315)
Amortization of loss	2,985	3,724	8,955	11,172
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,377	4,103	7,131	12,309
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	656	849	1,968	2,547
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,814	2,108	5,442	6,324
Expected return on assets	(2,687)	(2,725)	(8,061)	(8,175)
Amortization of loss	1,615	2,013	4,845	6,039
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,398	2,245	4,194	6,735
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,416	1,645	4,248	4,935
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,557	4,354	10,671	13,062
Expected return on assets	(6,062)	(6,222)	(18,186)	(18,666)
Amortization of loss	2,340	3,238	7,020	9,714
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,251	3,015	3,753	9,045
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,566	1,957	4,698	5,871
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,992	3,493	8,976	10,479
Expected return on assets	(4,459)	(4,568)	(13,377)	(13,704)
Amortization of loss	2,604	3,264	7,812	9,792
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,703	4,146	8,109	12,438
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,073	11,326	24,219	33,978
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,083	17,984	42,249	53,952
Expected return on assets	(10,455)	(11,344)	(31,365)	(34,032)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(11,373)	(9,320)	(34,119)	(27,960)
Amortization of loss	4,554	7,893	13,662	23,679
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,882	16,539	14,646	49,617
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	978	1,739	2,934	5,217
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,324	3,130	6,972	9,390
Expected return on assets	(4,464)	(4,798)	(13,392)	(14,394)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,368)	(610)	(4,104)	(1,830)
Amortization of loss	1,064	1,339	3,192	4,017
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,466)	800	(4,398)	2,400
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,869	2,474	5,607	7,422
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,260	4,078	9,780	12,234
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,947)	(1,867)	(5,841)	(5,601)
Amortization of loss	732	1,780	2,196	5,340
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,914	6,465	11,742	19,395
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	386	507	1,158	1,521
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	709	859	2,127	2,577
Expected return on assets	(1,379)	(1,542)	(4,137)	(4,626)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(234)	(229)	(702)	(687)
Amortization of loss	223	215	669	645
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(295)	(190)	(885)	(570)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	156	205	468	615
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	448	652	1,344	1,956
Expected return on assets	(1,154)	(1,201)	(3,462)	(3,603)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(177)	(558)	(531)
Amortization of loss	37	118	111	354
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(699)	(403)	(2,097)	(1,209)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	398	500	1,194	1,500
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,039	1,342	3,117	4,026
Expected return on assets	(2,394)	(2,588)	(7,182)	(7,764)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(681)	(681)	(2,043)	(2,043)
Amortization of loss	537	685	1,611	2,055
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,101)	(742)	(3,303)	(2,226)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	334	470	1,002	1,410
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	529	628	1,587	1,884
Expected return on assets	(814)	(911)	(2,442)	(2,733)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(393)	(366)	(1,179)	(1,098)
Amortization of loss	287	300	861	900
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(57)	121	(171)	363
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	8,000	4,500	16,500	13,400
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	105	113	317	339
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	58	68	176	204
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	60	59	179	177
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16	16	48	48
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 126	$ 149	$ 380	$ 447