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)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											$ 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	901,064	[1]	10,338	[1]	0	890,726	[1]	0	0	0	145,492	0	145,492	0	405,141	405,141	0	92,006	0	92,006	0	44,389		71,543	0	71,543	0	60,280	60,280	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash																		10,500	0	10,500	0							85,610	85,610	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	146,649		0		0	0		146,649	0	0					(1,050)	0	(1,050)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	39,449		0		3,363	0		0	0	36,086
Common stock	(468,396)		0		0	(468,396)		0	0	0					(91,250)	(91,250)	0	(10,500)				(36,100)						(85,610)
Noncontrolling Interest in Net Income (Loss) Preferred Unit Holders, Redeemable	10,338	[1]	10,338	[1]	0	0		0	0	0	1,071	0	1,071	0				715	0	715	0	724	$ (724)
Other															(62)	(62)	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent											0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,690,237		0		5,420,608	8,617,901		111,678	2,548	(5,462,498)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											2,397,738	790,243	1,607,025	470	5,394,588	5,444,080	(49,492)	1,175,582	167	976,089	199,326	434,511		1,140,537	481,994	609,091	49,452	713,493	34,143	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)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											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	924,877	[1]	10,317	[1]	0	914,560	[1]	0	0	0	247,701	0	247,701	0	514,260	514,260	0	111,818	0	111,818	0	50,558		113,985	0	113,985	0	68,667	68,667	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,517		0		0	0		8,517	0	0					(1,502)	0	(1,502)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	52,883		0		8,263	0		0	0	44,620
Common stock	(482,865)		0		0	(482,865)		0	0	0					(56,000)	(56,000)	0	0				(23,750)						(64,480)	(7,980)	(56,500)
Noncontrolling Interest in Net Income (Loss) Preferred Unit Holders, Redeemable	10,317	[1]	10,317	[1]	0	0		0	0	0	1,071	0	1,071	0				715	0	715	0	0
Other															3	3	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	$ 8,412,712		$ 0		$ 5,441,696	$ 8,953,611		$ (632,126)	$ 2,548	$ (5,353,017)
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											$ 2,973,384	$ 1,140,264	$ 1,832,650	$ 470	$ 5,761,778	$ 5,819,729	$ (57,951)	$ 1,288,973	$ 167	$ 1,089,480	$ 199,326	$ 442,356		$ 1,374,152	$ 596,994	$ 727,706	$ 49,452	$ 714,996	$ 113,146	$ 601,850

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2018 and 2017 include $10.3 million and $10.3 million, respectively, of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented within equity.