Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total		Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]		Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 8,081,809		$ 0		$ 5,417,245	$ 8,195,571		$ (34,971)	$ 2,548	$ (5,498,584)	$ 2,253,317	$ 790,243	$ 1,462,604	$ 470	$ 5,081,809	$ 5,130,251	$ (48,442)	$ 1,094,791	$ 167	$ 895,298	$ 199,326	$ 426,946		$ 1,068,994	$ 481,994	$ 537,548	$ 49,452	$ 738,823	$ 59,473	$ 679,350
Consolidated net income	499,420	[1]	6,892	[1]	0	492,528	[1]	0	0	0	52,854	0	52,854	0	218,857	218,857	0	45,461	0	45,461	0	25,860		31,955	0	31,955	0	39,697	39,697	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	87,744		0		0	0		87,744	0	0					(680)	0	(680)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	20,984		0		(7,383)	0		0	0	28,367
Common stock	(312,209)		0		0	(312,209)		0	0	0					(91,250)	(91,250)	0					(24,150)						0
Noncontrolling Interest in Net Income (Loss) Preferred Unit Holders, Redeemable	6,892	[1]	6,892	[1]	0	0		0	0	0	714	0	714	0				477	0	477	0	482	$ (482)
Other															(27)	(27)	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent											0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,370,856		0		5,409,862	8,375,890		52,773	2,548	(5,470,217)	2,305,457	790,243	1,514,744	470	5,208,709	5,257,831	(49,122)	1,139,775	167	940,282	199,326	428,174		1,100,949	481,994	569,503	49,452	778,520	99,170	679,350
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	7,992,515		0		5,433,433	7,977,702		(23,531)	2,548	(5,397,637)	2,376,754	790,264	1,586,020	470	5,308,804	5,355,204	(46,400)	1,177,870	167	978,377	199,326	415,548		1,260,167	596,994	613,721	49,452	710,809	52,459	658,350
Consolidated net income	385,059	[1]	6,878	[1]	0	378,181	[1]	0	0	0	118,811	0	118,811	0	295,952	295,952	0	61,085	0	61,085	0	29,151		48,139	0	48,139	0	45,695	45,695	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	27,001		0		0	0		27,001	0	0					(1,002)	0	(1,002)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	19,483		0		(4,029)	0		0	0	23,512
Common stock	(321,821)		0		0	(321,821)		0	0	0					(56,000)	(56,000)	0					(14,500)						(63,240)	(6,740)	(56,500)
Noncontrolling Interest in Net Income (Loss) Preferred Unit Holders, Redeemable	6,878	[1]	6,878	[1]	0	0		0	0	0	714	0	714	0				477	0	477	0	0
Other															13	13	0
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Reclassification from AOCI to Retained Earnings, Tax Effect	(16,538)	[1]	0	[1]	0	(32,043)		15,505	0	0					(3,787)	6,262	(10,049)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent											350,000	350,000	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 8,022,461		$ 0		$ 5,429,404	$ 8,578,276		$ (613,642)	$ 2,548	$ (5,374,125)	$ 2,844,851	$ 1,140,264	$ 1,704,117	$ 470	$ 5,543,980	$ 5,601,431	$ (57,451)	$ 1,238,478	$ 167	$ 1,038,985	$ 199,326	$ 430,199		$ 1,308,306	$ 596,994	$ 661,860	$ 49,452	$ 693,264	$ 91,414	$ 601,850

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2018 and 2017 include $6.9 million and $6.9 million, respectively, of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented within equity.