Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended																												1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Parent Company [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 System Energy [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] plant	Mar. 31, 2011 Vermont Yankee [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Vermont Yankee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Vermont Yankee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Scenario, Forecast [Member] Minimum [Member] Vermont Yankee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2014 Scenario, Forecast [Member] Maximum [Member] Vermont Yankee [Member]
Increase in decommissioning liability								$ 39,400,000																								$ 58,000,000
Depreciation rates on average depreciable property		2.60%	2.50%	2.60%	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%	2.50%	2.40%	2.50%	2.50%	2.40%	2.20%	2.50%	2.50%	2.60%				2.60%	2.60%	2.60%	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%	2.80%	2.80%	2.80%
Depreciation rates on average depreciable utility property		2.50%	2.40%	2.50%
Depreciation rates on average depreciable non-utility property		4.10%	3.50%	3.90%
Accumulated depreciation of non-utility property		203,000,000	230,400,000		146,000,000	142,000,000		3,000,000	2,800,000		10,400,000	10,000,000
Construction expenditures in accounts payable		166,000,000	267,000,000		13,100,000	9,700,000		31,100,000	110,400,000		10,900,000	8,600,000		61,900,000	56,300,000					2,800,000	4,800,000		1,700,000	1,900,000		6,700,000	13,500,000
Options outstanding excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share		8,866,542	7,164,319	5,712,604
Stock-based compensation plans award vesting period		3 years
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Share-based Payment Arrangements																	100,000	300,000	1,000,000
Percentage of interest in River Bend by Entergy Gulf States Louisiana					30.00%
Portion of percentage of interest of River Bend plant costs, generation, revenues and expenses operating the Louisiana retail deregulated portion of River Bend		15.00%
Rate at which electricity sold to retail customers					0.046
Limit above which incremental revenue shared between ratepayers and shareholders		0.046
Number of nuclear power plants pending for NRC license renewals																													2
Period of renewal of operating license by NRC																														20 years
Lease Expiration Date																																Mar. 01, 2032
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent		3,933,416,000	3,513,634,000		403,084,000	380,822,000		479,086,000	418,122,000		4,349,000	4,103,000		723,771,000	680,712,000					6,401,000	6,039,000		2,347,000	2,193,000		616,157,000	478,371,000					10,000,000
Asset Retirement Obligation, Noncurrent, Clean Energy Development Support																																5,000,000
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent, Economic Transitional Payments																																5,000,000
Restoration Liability																																25,000,000
Estimated fair value of nuclear plant	162,000,000
Carrying value of nuclear plant	517,500,000
Asset impairment charges	355,500,000	321,500,000	355,500,000
After tax asset impairment charge	223,500,000	202,200,000	223,500,000
Asset impairments and related charges		341,537,000	355,524,000	0																											291,500,000
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-For-Use, Net of Tax																															183,700,000
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure																							45,800,000									62,000,000
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net		199,375,000	256,039,000		174,134,000	165,410,000		396,000	578,000		376,000	638,000		1,664,000	1,671,000					4,670,000	4,698,000		1,016,000	1,016,000								349,000,000
Severance and Employee Retention Costs																																	$ 50,000,000	$ 55,000,000