Long - Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended									1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 System Energy [Member]	Aug. 31, 2010 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Jun. 30, 2010 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Entergy Texas [Member]	Apr. 30, 2007 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Jun. 30, 2007 Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Sep. 30, 2009 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Nov. 30, 2009 Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-3 (5.93%) Due June 2022 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-1 (5.51%) Due October 2013 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-1 (2.12%) Due February 2016 [Member] Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-2 (5.79%) Due October 2018 [Member] Hurricane Rita [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-2 (3.65%) Due August 2019 [Member] Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Tranche A-3 (4.38%) Due November 2023 [Member] Hurricane Ike And Hurricane Gustav [Member] Entergy Texas [Member]	Jul. 31, 2003 Note Payable To NYPA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Note Payable To NYPA [Member] installment	Dec. 31, 2013 Securitization Bonds, 2.30% Series Senior Secured, Due August 2021 [Member] Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Securitization Bonds, 2.04% Series Senior Secured, Due June 2021 [Member] Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage																											2.30%	2.04%
Number of annual installments of notes commencing one year from date of closing																										7
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing one year from the date of the closing																										$ 108,000,000
Number of annual installments of notes commencing eight years from the date of closing																										8
Annual installments of Notes payable commencing eight years from the date of the closing																										20,000,000
Implicit interest rate on notes issued																										4.80%
Per year additional liability of non-utility nuclear business, in accordance with the purchase agreement																										10,000,000
Number of years of non-utility nuclear business liability for additional liability, in accordance with the purchase agreement	10 years
Payment made prior to maturity on the note payable																									102,000,000
Minimum rate of equity capital			35.00%
Carrying costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs					11,500,000			207,200,000
Up front financing costs on issuance of bonds to recover storm damage restoration costs					4,600,000
Value of non interest bearing first mortgage bonds				124,100,000.0
Coupon rate of storm cost recovery bonds				2.30%				2.04%
2014	385,373,000		0			70,000,000			300,000,000		0			23,200,000							40,200,000						12,800,000	21,900,000
2015	1,110,566,000		60,000,000			250,000,000			0		200,000,000			24,600,000			41,200,000				13,800,000		27,400,000				13,200,000	20,500,000
2016	270,852,000		0			55,000,000			20,000,000		54,047,000			26,000,000			42,600,000										13,400,000	21,600,000
2017	766,801,000		50,000,000			114,700,000			25,000,000		0			27,600,000			44,100,000		4,000,000			23,600,000					13,800,000	21,700,000
2018	1,324,616,000		85,000,000			115,000,000			300,000,000		97,414,000			29,200,000			45,800,000						30,800,000	15,000,000			14,100,000	22,300,000
Cost recovered through issuance of securitization bonds													353,000,000			566,400,000
Amount of storm cost recovery bonds for transaction costs													6,000,000
Deferred income tax benefits													32,000,000
Bonds issued to recover cost	$ 883,013,000	$ 973,480,000				$ 88,961,000	$ 101,547,000		$ 164,965,000	$ 181,553,000	$ 629,087,000	$ 690,380,000		$ 329,500,000	$ 329,500,000		$ 545,900,000	$ 545,900,000	$ 114,400,000	$ 93,500,000	$ 182,500,000	$ 121,600,000	$ 144,800,000	$ 218,600,000