Income Taxes (Significant Components Of Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes And Taxes Accrued) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Plant basis differences - net	$ (7,941,319)	$ (8,240,342)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(922,312)	(898,143)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(1,100,439)	(848,918)
Pension, net funding	(299,951)	(305,676)
Combined unitary state taxes	(183,934)	(233,210)
Power purchase agreements	(8,096)	0
Other	(404,749)	(485,550)
Total	(10,860,800)	(11,011,839)
Nuclear decommissioning liabilities	754,828	733,103
Regulatory liabilities	403,370	404,852
Pension and other post-employment benefits	469,190	664,569
Sale and leaseback	176,119	195,074
Compensation	125,552	53,388
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	106,777	110,690
Provision for allowances and contingencies	66,026	61,576
Power purchase agreements	0	43,717
Net operating loss carryforwards	548,756	960,235
Capital losses and miscellaneous tax credits	13,140	23,114
Valuation allowance	(28,146)	(86,881)
Other	109,606	78,721
Total	2,745,218	3,242,158
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(400,276)	(210,534)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(8,515,858)	(7,980,215)
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,613,195)	(1,565,988)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(212,339)	(172,915)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(110,004)	(67,025)
Pension, net funding	(79,589)	(76,989)
Power purchase agreements	(7,053)
Deferred fuel	(26,946)	(50,068)
Other	(62,046)	(55,000)
Total	(2,111,172)	(1,987,985)
Nuclear decommissioning liabilities	(64,571)	(63,189)
Regulatory liabilities	120,966	79,805
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(12,132)	1,711
Compensation	7,131	3,587
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	15,281	16,062
Provision for allowances and contingencies	12,313	4,723
Power purchase agreements		94
Net operating loss carryforwards	85,875	102,034
Other	3,682	5,565
Total	206,370	178,043
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	22,565	46,930
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,882,237)	(1,763,012)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	37,825	27,651
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,259,173)	(1,268,164)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(102,362)	(100,578)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(32,574)	(25,472)
Pension, net funding	(45,342)	(50,790)
Power purchase agreements	(20,234)
Deferred fuel	(4,361)	(1,618)
Other	(25,694)	(27,501)
Total	(1,489,740)	(1,474,123)
Nuclear decommissioning liabilities	49,439	51,593
Regulatory liabilities	60,176	47,474
Pension and other post-employment benefits	73,136	98,259
Compensation	4,701	580
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	35,297	36,642
Provision for allowances and contingencies	14,784	33,074
Power purchase agreements		37,771
Other	4,939	6,106
Total	220,132	288,349
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(279,269)	(239,670)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,548,877)	(1,425,444)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	(22,340)	(23,150)
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(1,347,534)	(1,544,256)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(255,068)	(249,051)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(50,248)	(29,493)
Pension, net funding	(50,630)	(53,256)
Deferred fuel	(512)	(11,815)
Other	(69,194)	(92,433)
Total	(1,773,186)	(1,980,304)
Nuclear decommissioning liabilities	92,206	92,930
Regulatory liabilities	94,019	173,046
Pension and other post-employment benefits	62,999	87,539
Sale and leaseback	52,054	57,423
Compensation	3,470	18
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	25,913	27,008
Provision for allowances and contingencies	3,347	48,241
Net operating loss carryforwards	230,592	460,367
Other	4,148	5,513
Total	571,774	944,984
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	25,512	218,033
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,175,900)	(817,287)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	3,026	(7,101)
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(727,545)	(727,442)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(33,277)	(27,077)
Pension, net funding	(24,392)	(24,226)
Deferred fuel	(21,823)	(11,332)
Other	(10,732)	(12,641)
Total	(817,769)	(802,718)
Regulatory liabilities	8,357	8,515
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(1,345)	2,086
Compensation	1,778	(664)
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	3,263	2,776
Provision for allowances and contingencies	13,066	9,564
Power purchase agreements		84
Net operating loss carryforwards	19,400	45,475
Other	4,224	5,021
Total	61,707	85,836
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(6,290)	(1,121)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(762,352)	(718,003)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	6,791	9,242
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	6,173	3,737
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(196,726)	(202,496)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	0	(4,790)
Pension, net funding	(11,606)	(12,420)
Power purchase agreements	13
Deferred fuel	63	(976)
Other	(13,446)	(10,577)
Total	(221,702)	(231,259)
Regulatory liabilities	35,764	47,257
Pension and other post-employment benefits	1,532	1,606
Compensation	1,696	13
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	416	500
Provision for allowances and contingencies	8,535	(2,865)
Power purchase agreements		21
Other	2,930	4,472
Total	55,099	54,356
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(5,015)	13,630
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(171,618)	(163,273)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	4,226	3,352
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Entergy Texas [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(759,263)	(770,084)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(205,402)	(220,417)
Pension, net funding	(23,598)	(24,335)
Power purchase agreements	1,269
Deferred fuel	(470)	3,932
Other	(58,963)	(23,681)
Total	(1,046,427)	(1,034,585)
Regulatory liabilities	7,952	3,429
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(13,417)	(16,054)
Compensation	6,774	4,547
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	5,651	6,210
Provision for allowances and contingencies	5,980	(35,505)
Power purchase agreements		2,752
Net operating loss carryforwards	0	20,307
Other	3,807	6,707
Total	27,402	5,379
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	(37,777)	55,113
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(1,056,802)	(974,093)
Deferred Tax Assets, Deferred Income	10,655	12,986
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
System Energy [Member]
Plant basis differences - net	(698,151)	(759,896)
Regulatory assets for income taxes - net	(113,849)	(119,209)
Nuclear decommissioning trusts	(58,308)	(27,809)
Pension, net funding	(21,187)	(21,372)
Deferred fuel	(129)	(445)
Other	(8,969)	(6,592)
Total	(900,593)	(935,323)
Nuclear decommissioning liabilities	(71,898)	(65,564)
Regulatory liabilities	76,135	45,327
Pension and other post-employment benefits	(2,073)	2,212
Sale and leaseback	124,065	137,651
Compensation	822	180
Accumulated deferred investment tax credit	20,956	21,492
Net operating loss carryforwards	0	86,228
Other	2,001	2,000
Total	150,008	229,526
Noncurrent accrued taxes (including unrecognized tax benefits)	10,302	(4,130)
Accumulated deferred income taxes and taxes accrued	(740,283)	(709,927)
Deferred Tax Assets, Capital Losses and Miscellaneous Tax Credits	0	0
Other Federal [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	0	0
Other Federal [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount	0	0
Other Federal [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount		$ 0