Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 38,752	$ 33,410	$ 116,256	$ 100,230
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	66,854	65,206	200,562	195,618
Expected return on assets	(110,535)	(102,056)	(331,605)	(306,168)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	99	65	297	195
Amortization of loss	68,526	56,930	205,578	170,790
Net other postretirement benefit cost	63,696	53,555	191,088	160,665
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	18,567	15,270
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,004	12,944	39,012	38,832
Expected return on assets	(21,851)	(20,427)	(65,553)	(61,281)
Amortization of loss	13,412	11,640	40,236	34,920
Net other postretirement benefit cost	10,754	9,247	32,262	27,741
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	25,338	20,775
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,940	14,809	44,820	44,427
Expected return on assets	(24,809)	(23,017)	(74,427)	(69,051)
Amortization of loss	14,450	12,354	43,350	37,062
Net other postretirement benefit cost	13,027	11,071	39,081	33,213
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	5,466	4,416
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,769	3,732	11,307	11,196
Expected return on assets	(6,502)	(6,131)	(19,506)	(18,393)
Amortization of loss	3,610	3,053	10,830	9,159
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,699	2,126	8,097	6,378
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	673	625	2,019	1,875
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,813	1,791	5,439	5,373
Expected return on assets	(2,993)	(2,800)	(8,979)	(8,400)
Amortization of loss	1,954	1,658	5,862	4,974
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,447	1,274	4,341	3,822
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	4,767	4,092
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,348	3,392	10,044	10,176
Expected return on assets	(6,523)	(6,180)	(19,569)	(18,540)
Amortization of loss	2,626	2,310	7,878	6,930
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,040	886	3,120	2,658
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	5,328	4,608
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,227	3,091	9,681	9,273
Expected return on assets	(4,991)	(4,663)	(14,973)	(13,989)
Amortization of loss	3,715	2,964	11,145	8,892
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,727	2,928	11,181	8,784
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,782	6,729	20,346	20,187
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,681	13,960	38,043	41,880
Expected return on assets	(10,373)	(9,408)	(31,119)	(28,224)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(9,251)	(10,356)	(27,753)	(31,068)
Amortization of loss	3,432	5,476	10,296	16,428
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,271	6,401	9,813	19,203
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	793	863	2,379	2,589
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,997	2,255	5,991	6,765
Expected return on assets	(4,342)	(3,959)	(13,026)	(11,877)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,278)	(3,834)	(3,834)
Amortization of loss	289	1,115	867	3,345
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,541)	(1,004)	(7,623)	(3,012)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,556	1,593	4,668	4,779
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,789	3,025	8,367	9,075
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,934)	(5,802)	(5,802)
Amortization of loss	388	465	1,164	1,395
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,799	3,149	8,397	9,447
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	321	290	963	870
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	683	690	2,049	2,070
Expected return on assets	(1,303)	(1,200)	(3,909)	(3,600)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(456)	(1,368)	(1,368)
Amortization of loss	377	419	1,131	1,257
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(378)	(257)	(1,134)	(771)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	129	142	387	426
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	417	469	1,251	1,407
Expected return on assets	(1,313)	(1,159)	(3,939)	(3,477)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)	(558)	(558)
Amortization of loss	34	105	102	315
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(919)	(629)	(2,757)	(1,887)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	330	372	990	1,116
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	939	1,124	2,817	3,372
Expected return on assets	(2,446)	(2,180)	(7,338)	(6,540)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(579)	(1,737)	(1,737)
Amortization of loss	206	826	618	2,478
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,550)	(437)	(4,650)	(1,311)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	306	320	918	960
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	500	559	1,500	1,677
Expected return on assets	(783)	(717)	(2,349)	(2,151)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(378)	(1,134)	(1,134)
Amortization of loss	233	390	699	1,170
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(122)	174	(366)	522
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,200	15,800	19,700	28,900
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits	212	11,600	7,000	15,500
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	114	111	369	483
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits	7	10	0	173
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	42	46	138	141
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	73	62	230	189
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	20	18	62	55
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 122	$ 124	529	$ 377
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits			$ 139