Leases Leases (Lease, Maturity) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 5 months 1 day
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 30,913
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	7,067
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	57,615	$ 31,876
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	13,052
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	49,126	32,609
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	11,505
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	40,519	10,180
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	10,307
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	32,907
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	9,231
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	53,491
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	25,696
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	264,571	105,824
Operating Lease, Cost	30,450
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	76,858
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	12,306
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	234,121
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 64,552
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	6 years 11 months 8 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.93%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	4.71%
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	6 years 2 months 19 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 6,070
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	1,398
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	11,014
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	2,560
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	9,117
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	2,164
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	6,782
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	1,875
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	5,619
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,648
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	15,771
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	2,698
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	54,373
Operating Lease, Cost	5,804
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	12,343
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	1,179
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	48,569
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 11,164
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 6 months 18 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.79%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.78%
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 3 months 7 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 5,419
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	2,235
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	9,797
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	4,032
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	8,046
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	3,377
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	5,267
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	2,937
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	3,391
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	2,489
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	3,777
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	3,453
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	35,697
Operating Lease, Cost	2,637
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	18,523
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	1,683
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	33,060
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 16,840
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 3 months 7 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.80%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.78%
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 1 month 9 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 3,580
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	813
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	5,888
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,549
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	4,759
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	1,384
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	3,338
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	1,191
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,237
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	977
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	2,340
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	1,444
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	21,142
Operating Lease, Cost	2,150
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	7,358
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	687
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	18,992
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 6,671
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 5 months 1 day
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.80%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.77%
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 14 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 680
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	403
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,225
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	645
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	954
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	535
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	632
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	484
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	470
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	437
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	693
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	834
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	4,654
Operating Lease, Cost	483
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	3,338
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	347
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	4,171
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 2,991
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 9 months 18 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.96%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.95%
Entergy Texas [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 6 months 7 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 1,924
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	727
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	3,776	31,876
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,297
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	3,026	32,609
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	1,104
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	2,061	10,180
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	897
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,704
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	759
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	1,862
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	1,111
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	14,353	$ 105,824
Operating Lease, Cost	1,726
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	5,895
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	543
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	12,627
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 5,352
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 2 months 23 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.93%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.89%