Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 38,752	$ 33,410	$ 77,504	$ 66,820
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	66,854	65,206	133,708	130,412
Expected return on assets	(110,535)	(102,056)	(221,070)	(204,112)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	99	65	198	130
Amortization of loss	68,526	56,930	137,052	113,860
Net other postretirement benefit cost	63,696	53,555	127,392	107,110
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,189	5,090	12,378	10,180
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,004	12,944	26,008	25,888
Expected return on assets	(21,851)	(20,427)	(43,702)	(40,854)
Amortization of loss	13,412	11,640	26,824	23,280
Net other postretirement benefit cost	10,754	9,247	21,508	18,494
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,446	6,925	16,892	13,850
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,940	14,809	29,880	29,618
Expected return on assets	(24,809)	(23,017)	(49,618)	(46,034)
Amortization of loss	14,450	12,354	28,900	24,708
Net other postretirement benefit cost	13,027	11,071	26,054	22,142
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,822	1,472	3,644	2,944
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,769	3,732	7,538	7,464
Expected return on assets	(6,502)	(6,131)	(13,004)	(12,262)
Amortization of loss	3,610	3,053	7,220	6,106
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,699	2,126	5,398	4,252
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	673	625	1,346	1,250
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,813	1,791	3,626	3,582
Expected return on assets	(2,993)	(2,800)	(5,986)	(5,600)
Amortization of loss	1,954	1,658	3,908	3,316
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,447	1,274	2,894	2,548
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,589	1,364	3,178	2,728
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,348	3,392	6,696	6,784
Expected return on assets	(6,523)	(6,180)	(13,046)	(12,360)
Amortization of loss	2,626	2,310	5,252	4,620
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,040	886	2,080	1,772
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,776	1,536	3,552	3,072
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,227	3,091	6,454	6,182
Expected return on assets	(4,991)	(4,663)	(9,982)	(9,326)
Amortization of loss	3,715	2,964	7,430	5,928
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,727	2,928	7,454	5,856
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,782	6,729	13,564	13,458
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,681	13,960	25,362	27,920
Expected return on assets	(10,373)	(9,408)	(20,746)	(18,816)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(9,251)	(10,356)	(18,502)	(20,712)
Amortization of loss	3,432	5,476	6,864	10,952
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,271	6,401	6,542	12,802
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	793	863	1,586	1,726
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,997	2,255	3,994	4,510
Expected return on assets	(4,342)	(3,959)	(8,684)	(7,918)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,278)	(2,556)	(2,556)
Amortization of loss	289	1,115	578	2,230
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,541)	(1,004)	(5,082)	(2,008)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,556	1,593	3,112	3,186
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,789	3,025	5,578	6,050
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,934)	(3,868)	(3,868)
Amortization of loss	388	465	776	930
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,799	3,149	5,598	6,298
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	321	290	642	580
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	683	690	1,366	1,380
Expected return on assets	(1,303)	(1,200)	(2,606)	(2,400)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(456)	(912)	(912)
Amortization of loss	377	419	754	838
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(378)	(257)	(756)	(514)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	129	142	258	284
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	417	469	834	938
Expected return on assets	(1,313)	(1,159)	(2,626)	(2,318)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)	(372)	(372)
Amortization of loss	34	105	68	210
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(919)	(629)	(1,838)	(1,258)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	330	372	660	744
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	939	1,124	1,878	2,248
Expected return on assets	(2,446)	(2,180)	(4,892)	(4,360)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(579)	(1,158)	(1,158)
Amortization of loss	206	826	412	1,652
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,550)	(437)	(3,100)	(874)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	306	320	612	640
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	500	559	1,000	1,118
Expected return on assets	(783)	(717)	(1,566)	(1,434)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(378)	(756)	(756)
Amortization of loss	233	390	466	780
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(122)	174	(244)	348
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,600	8,500	15,500	13,100
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	122	267	254	372
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	46	47	96	96
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	77	63	157	127
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	21	18	42	36
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 270	$ 126	$ 407	$ 253