Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total		Subsidiaries' Preferred Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member]		Treasury Stock [Member]		Paid In Capital [Member]		Retained Earnings [Member]		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]		Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]
Payments for Repurchase of Redeemable Preferred Stock															$ 0								$ 0
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 9,726,466		$ 94,000		$ 2,548		$ (5,533,942)		$ 5,368,131		$ 9,825,053		$ (29,324)		1,719,718	$ 470	$ 588,471	$ 1,130,777	$ 4,436,629	$ 110,000	$ 4,364,466	$ (37,837)	951,577	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 752,941	$ 206,283	$ 33,744	$ 36,294	$ 136,245	$ 887,027	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 355,581	$ 876,107	$ 789,350	$ 86,757
Consolidated net income (loss)	960,257	[1]	19,536	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	940,721	[1]	0	[1]	121,392	0	0	121,392	446,022	0	446,022	0	74,821	0	0	74,821	31,030	0	0	31,030	74,804	0	0	74,804	96,334	0	96,334
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																											(2,323)	0	0	(2,323)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															0												0
Member contribution																			1,052	0	1,052	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12,983)		0		0		0		0		0		(12,983)						(41,386)	0	0	(41,386)
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(183,271)		0		0		(183,271)		0		0		0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(19,536)	[1]	(19,536)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(7,796)	0	(7,796)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	226,909		0		0		219,687		7,222		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	(596,117)		0		0		0		0		(596,117)		0		(10,000)	0	0	(10,000)	(166,901)	0	(166,901)	0	(61,400)	0	0	(61,400)	(6,000)	0	0	(6,000)	(70,000)	0	0	(70,000)	(101,930)	0	(101,930)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,536)	[1]	(19,536)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(7,796)	0	(7,796)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(320,601)	0	(320,601)	0
Other																			(32)	0	(32)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	10,101,725		94,000		2,548		(5,497,526)		5,375,353		10,169,657		(42,307)		1,824,237	470	588,471	1,235,296	4,346,987	110,000	4,316,210	(79,223)	962,170	199,326	(690)	763,534	228,025	33,744	36,294	157,987	891,831	49,452	481,994	360,385	870,511	789,350	81,161
Payments for Repurchase of Redeemable Preferred Stock															0								0
Consolidated net income (loss)	(156,734)	[1]	19,828	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(176,562)	[1]	0	[1]	74,272	0	0	74,272	446,639	0	446,639	0	92,708	0	0	92,708	44,925	0	0	44,925	69,625	0	0	69,625	111,318	0	111,318
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																											(2,203)	0	0	(2,203)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															0												87,500	0	87,500	0
Preferred Stock Redemptions																			110,000	110,000	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	51,258		0		0		0		0		0		51,258						22,811	0	0	22,811
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(99,807)		0		0		(99,807)		0		0		0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(94,285)		(94,000)		0		0		0		(285)		0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			267,826	0	267,826	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(19,828)	[1]	(19,828)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(5,737)	0	(5,737)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	73,359		0		0		44,954		28,405		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	(598,897)		0		0		0		0		(598,897)		0										(40,000)	0	0	(40,000)	(7,250)	0	0	(7,250)					(200,750)	(70,000)	(130,750)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,828)	[1]	(19,828)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(5,737)	0	(5,737)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(226,000)	0	(226,000)	0
Other															22	0	22	0	(5,214)	0	(5,214)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	9,256,791		0		2,548		(5,552,379)		5,403,758		9,393,913		8,951		1,891,658	470	588,493	1,302,695	4,737,312	0	4,793,724	(56,412)	1,012,050	199,326	(690)	813,414	350,032	33,744	123,794	192,494	961,456	49,452	481,994	430,010	781,079	719,350	61,729
Payments for Repurchase of Redeemable Preferred Stock															85,283								30,000
Consolidated net income (loss)	(564,503)	[1]	19,115	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(583,618)	[1]	0	[1]	167,212	0	0	167,212	622,047	0	622,047	0	109,184	0	0	109,184	48,849	0	0	48,849	107,538	0	0	107,538	96,744	0	96,744
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															200,000	0	200,000	0									47,750	0	47,750	0
Preferred Stock Redemptions	(2,889)		0		0		0		0		(2,889)		0		(283)	0	1,750	(2,033)					0	0	(857)	(857)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(43,922)		0		0		0		0		0		(43,922)						7,970	0	0	7,970
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(115,283)
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(19,115)	[1]	(19,115)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(5,270)	0	0	(5,270)					(2,443)	0	0	(2,443)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	67,282		0		0		53,795		13,487		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	611,835		0		0		0		0		611,835		0										(24,000)	0	0	(24,000)	(18,720)	0	0	(18,720)					(139,000)	(40,000)	(99,000)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,115)	[1]	(19,115)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(5,270)	0	0	(5,270)					(2,443)	0	0	(2,443)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(285,500)	0	(285,500)	0
Other																			(20)	0	(20)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 8,081,809		$ 0		$ 2,548		$ (5,498,584)		$ 5,417,245		$ 8,195,571		$ (34,971)		$ 2,253,317	$ 470	$ 790,243	$ 1,462,604	$ 5,081,809	$ 0	$ 5,130,251	$ (48,442)	$ 1,094,791	$ 199,326	$ 167	$ 895,298	$ 426,946	$ 33,744	$ 171,544	$ 221,658	$ 1,068,994	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 537,548	$ 738,823	$ 679,350	$ 59,473

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries include $19.1 million for 2016, $14.9 million for 2015, and $12.9 million for 2014 of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented as equity.