Long - Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended								3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Jul. 31, 2015	May 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2011	Aug. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2009	Apr. 30, 2007	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Nov. 30, 2009	Jun. 30, 2007
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One											$ 307,403
Year Two											828,084
Year Three											724,899
Year Four											795,000
Year Five											1,674,548
Bonds issued to recover cost		$ 774,696									$ 661,175	$ 774,696
System Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Minimum rate of equity capital											35.00%
Year One											$ 50,000
Year Two											85,000
Year Three											0
Year Four											0
Year Five											0
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs							$ 11,500
Up Front Financing Costs On Issuance Of Bonds To Recover Storm Damage Restoration Costs							$ 4,600
Value of non interest bearing first mortgage bonds						$ 124,100
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds						2.30%
Year One											114,700
Year Two											0
Year Three											0
Year Four											0
Year Five											534,548
Bonds issued to recover cost		61,249									48,139	61,249
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs					$ 207,200
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds					2.04%
Year One											142,703
Year Two											675,000
Year Three											0
Year Four											320,000
Year Five											240,000
Bonds issued to recover cost		120,549									99,217	120,549
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Up Front Financing Costs On Issuance Of Bonds To Recover Storm Damage Restoration Costs				$ 3,000
Year One											2,104
Year Two											2,077
Year Three											1,979
Year Four											26,838
Year Five											1,618
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds				98,700
Bonds issued to recover cost		95,867									84,776	95,867
Issuance Of Debt			$ 98,700
Amount of Hurricane Issac storm cost to be recovered through securitization				31,800
Replenishment amount for storm reserve spending				$ 63,900
Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One											0
Year Two											23,584
Year Three											574,899
Year Four											0
Year Five											200,000
Bonds issued to recover cost		497,030									429,043	$ 497,030
Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One											27,600
Year Two											29,200
Year Three											30,900
Year Four											32,800
Year Five											17,500
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds									$ 353,000
Amount of storm cost recovery bonds for transaction costs									6,000
Deferred income tax benefits									$ 32,000
Bonds issued to recover cost											329,500			$ 329,500
Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year One											44,100
Year Two											45,800
Year Three											47,600
Year Four											49,800
Year Five											52,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds								$ 566,400
Bonds issued to recover cost											545,900		$ 545,900
Tranche A-3 (5.93%) Due June 2022 [Member] | Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Four											4,000
Bonds issued to recover cost											114,400
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
Tranche A-1 (2.12%) Due February 2016 [Member] | Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Bonds issued to recover cost											182,500
Tranche A-2 (5.79%) Due October 2018 [Member] | Hurricane Rita [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Four											23,600
Bonds issued to recover cost											121,600
Tranche A-2 (3.65%) Due August 2019 [Member] | Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Year Five											30,800
Bonds issued to recover cost											144,800
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
Bonds issued to recover cost											$ 218,600
Tranche A One Two Point Six Seven Percent Due June Two Thousand Twenty Seven [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds			2.67%
Year One										$ 10,600
Year Two										11,000
Year Three										11,200
Year Four										11,600
Year Five										11,900
Note Payable To NYPA [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage											0.00%
Implicit interest rate on notes issued											4.80%
Write down of debt liability		$ 26,400								$ 35,100
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage											0.00%
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%	2.30%
Year One											$ 13,800
Year Two											14,100
Year Three											14,400
Year Four											$ 7,300
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		2.30%									2.30%	2.30%
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%	2.04%
Year One											$ 21,700
Year Two											22,300
Year Three											22,700
Year Four											23,200
Year Five											$ 11,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		2.04%									2.04%	2.04%
Waterford Series Collateral Trust Mortgage Notes due 2017 [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Implicit interest rate on notes issued											7.458%
Waterford 3 Lease Obligation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	[1]	7.45%									8.09%	7.45%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	[1]	7.45%									8.09%	7.45%
Waterford 3 Lease Obligation [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage											8.09%
Implicit interest rate on notes issued												7.45%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage											8.09%

[1] See Note 10 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Waterford 3 lease obligation and Entergy Louisiana’s acquisition of the equity participant’s beneficial interest in the Waterford 3 leased assets and for further discussion of the Grand Gulf lease obligation