Acquisitions And Dispositions (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 India Point Three [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 FitzPatrick [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] Harrison County [Member] MW	Nov. 30, 2012 Hinds Energy Facility [Member] MW	Nov. 30, 2012 Hot Spring Energy Facility [Member] MW	Dec. 31, 2012 Palisades [Member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Palisades [Member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Palisades [Member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Palisades [Member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 Acadia Unit 1 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 Acadia Unit 1 [Member] Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Acadia Unit 2 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member] MW	Apr. 30, 2011 Acadia Unit 2 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Rhode Island State Energy Center [member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] MW	Dec. 31, 2022 Scenario, Forecast [Member] Palisades [Member] Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Capacity of power plant unit						550	450	620							580		583
Percent of acquisition													50.00%	50.00%		100.00%
Amount paid for ownership in facility common assets							$ 206	$ 253					$ 300				$ 346
Time period of PPA												15 years
Percentage of plants output covered by PPA												100.00%
Price under PPA, lower range												43.500
Price under PPA, upper range																		61.500
Average price under PPA												51
Amounts amortized to revenue									17	43	46
Amounts to be amortized to revenue in 2013									18
Amounts to be amortized to revenue in 2014									16
Amounts to be amortized to revenue in 2015									15
Amounts to be amortized to revenue in 2016									13
Amounts to be amortized to revenue in 2017									12
Future payment to NYPA for power sold	6.59	3.91
Annual cap for future payment to NYPA for power sold	48	24
Contingent consideration recorded as plant			72	72	72
Discontinued operation ownership percentage sold						61.00%
Realized fain of plant sold						44.2
Gain on sale of plant net of tax						27.2
Energy plant sold						$ 219