Acquisitions, Dispositions, and Impairment of Long-Lived Assets (Narrative) (Details)		1 Months Ended					9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) MW	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 $ / MWh	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / MWh	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2007 $ / MWh	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									$ 2,835,637,000	$ 2,104,906,000	$ 179,752,000
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity									3,500,000,000
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding									700,000,000
Receivables recorded for beneficial interests in decommissioning trust funds															$ 1,500,000,000
Decommissioning Fund Investments					$ 5,349,953,000				5,723,897,000	5,349,953,000
Gain on sale of asset									0	154,037,000	0
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									2,835,637,000	2,104,906,000	123,527,000
Decommissioning									327,425,000	280,272,000	272,621,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Retirement Obligation					872,300,000	$ 818,400,000			924,400,000	872,300,000	818,400,000
Decommissioning Fund Investments					771,313,000				834,735,000	771,313,000
Decommissioning									53,610,000	50,414,000	46,972,000
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				$ (237,000,000)
Asset Retirement Obligation					2,700,000	2,500,000			2,900,000	2,700,000	2,500,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges						16,000,000
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				(474,000,000)
Asset Retirement Obligation					1,027,900,000	950,300,000			1,082,700,000	1,027,900,000	950,300,000
Decommissioning Fund Investments					1,042,293,000				1,140,707,000	1,042,293,000
Decommissioning									46,944,000	43,445,000	41,493,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Retirement Obligation					8,300,000	6,800,000			$ 8,700,000	8,300,000	6,800,000
India Point Three [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Future payment to NYPA for power sold | $ / MWh									6.59
Annual cap for future payment to NYPA for power sold									$ 48,000,000
FitzPatrick [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Future payment to NYPA for power sold | $ / MWh									3.91
Annual cap for future payment to NYPA for power sold									$ 24,000,000
Asset Retirement Obligation					0				714,300,000	0
Decommissioning Fund Investments									785,000,000
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity				$ 100,000,000					100,000,000
Proceeds From Sale of Preferred Membership Units									1,000
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding									45,000,000
Net Book Value									88,000,000
Closing condition on market value of decommissioning trust fund investments									451,950,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Retirement Obligation					300,000	$ 0			300,000	300,000	0
Indian Point Energy Center Units [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									$ 2,343,000,000
Weighted Average Cost Of Capital Used In Asset Valuation									7.20%
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant									$ 2,619,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									2,186,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges									157,000,000
After-Tax Asset Impairment Charge									1,511,000,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure									433,000,000
Increase in decommissioning liability									392,000,000
Indian Point Energy Center Units [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant					$ 2,360,000,000					$ 2,360,000,000
Palisades [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									$ 400,000,000
Weighted Average Cost Of Capital Used In Asset Valuation					7.50%				6.50%	7.50%
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant									$ 558,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									352,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges									48,000,000
After-Tax Asset Impairment Charge									258,000,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure									206,000,000
Increase in decommissioning liability									129,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges	[1]								2,835,637,000	$ 2,036,234,000	107,527,000
Contingent consideration recorded as plant											72,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges									2,800,000,000	$ 2,000,000,000
FitzPatrick [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Weighted Average Cost Of Capital Used In Asset Valuation					7.50%					7.50%
Non-refundable signing fee paid upon agreement and assumption by Exelon of certain liabilities			$ 10,000,000
Nuclear fuel expense reimbursement									56,000,000
Other operation and maintenance expense reimbursement									41,000,000
Termination fee payable to Entergy if FitzPatrick purchase agreement terminated									30,000,000
Receivables recorded for beneficial interests in decommissioning trust funds									785,000,000
Asset Retirement Obligation									714,000,000
Proceeds from sale of business			$ 100,000,000
FitzPatrick [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant									$ 0
Palisades [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Time period of PPA												15 years
Percentage of plants output covered by PPA												100.00%
Price under PPA, lower range | $ / MWh												43.50
Average price under PPA | $ / MWh									51
Amounts amortized to revenue									$ 13,000,000	$ 15,000,000	$ 16,000,000
Palisades [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accelerated Finite Lived Intangible Assets Amortization Expenses													$ 29,000,000	$ 43,000,000
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Palisades [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Price under PPA, upper range | $ / MWh								61.50
Vermont Yankee [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Increase in decommissioning liability																	$ 101,600,000
Pilgrim [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges							$ 677,000,000
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant							718,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges							653,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges							24,000,000
After-Tax Asset Impairment Charge							438,000,000
Decommissioning							134,000,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure							65,000,000
Rhode Island State Energy Center [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity Of Power Plant Unit | MW					583
Gain on sale of asset					$ 154,000,000
Rhode Island State Energy Center [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity Of Power Plant Unit | MW					583
Proceeds from sale of business					$ 490,000,000
Gain on sale of asset					154,000,000
Union Power Station [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity Of Power Plant Unit | MW				1,980
Capacity Per Power Block | MW				495
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				$ 0
Union Power Station [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				$ (237,323,000)
Power Blocks Purchased				1,000,000
Percentage of Undivided Ownership Interest				25.00%
Union Power Station [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				$ (237,335,000)
Power Blocks Purchased				1,000,000
Percentage of Undivided Ownership Interest				25.00%
Union Power Station [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment				$ (474,670,000)
Power Blocks Purchased				2,000,000
Percentage of Undivided Ownership Interest				50.00%
Top Deer [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of business		$ 500,000
Gain on sale of asset		$ 200,000
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		50.00%
FitzPatrick [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant																$ 0
FitzPatrick [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges							965,000,000
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant							742,000,000
Present Value Of The Difference Between The Stipulated Contract Amount For Decommissioning The Plants Less The Decommissioning Cost							335,000,000
Present Value Of The Difference Between The Stipulated Contract Amount For Decommissioning The Plants Less The Decommissioning Cost After Impairment							131,000,000
Change in Contract Amount For Decommissioning The Plants Less The Decommissioning Cost							204,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges							713,000,000
Asset Impairment Charges							48,000,000
After-Tax Asset Impairment Charge							624,000,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure							$ 29,000,000
Palisades [Member] | Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant					859,000,000					859,000,000
Asset Write-Offs, Impairments, And Related Charges										396,000,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure					463,000,000					463,000,000
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-For-Use, Net of Tax										256,000,000
Increase in decommissioning liability					$ 42,000,000					$ 42,000,000

[1] Businesses marked with * are sometimes referred to as the “competitive businesses.” Eliminations are primarily intersegment activity. Almost all of Entergy’s goodwill is related to the Utility segment.