Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended					9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Jan. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings	$ 1,917,788					$ 1,917,788	$ 1,942,339
Amount of Facility	3,500,000					3,500,000
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	$ 155,000					$ 155,000
Commercial Paper Program [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, weighted average interest rate	2.88%					2.88%
Commercial Paper program limit	$ 2,000,000					$ 2,000,000
Commercial Paper Amount Outstanding	1,918,000					1,918,000
Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	3,500,000					3,500,000
Amount of total borrowing capacity against which fronting commitments exist	20,000					$ 20,000
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage						0.225%
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.94%
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	250,000					$ 250,000
Amount of total borrowing capacity against which fronting commitments exist	5,000					5,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Mortgage Bonds Four Point Two Percent Series Due April 2049 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt			$ 350,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage			4.20%
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	450,000					450,000
Amount of total borrowing capacity against which fronting commitments exist	15,000					15,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Mortgage Bonds, Four Point Two Zero Percent Series due April Twenty Fifty [Member] [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt			$ 525,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage			4.20%
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	175,000					175,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	200					200	200
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Mortgage bonds, 3.85% Series due June 2049 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt		$ 300,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		3.85%
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Mortgage Bonds Six Point Six Four Percent Series Due July Two Thousand Nineteen [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		6.64%
Repayments of Debt		$ 150,000
Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	200,000					200,000
Amount of total borrowing capacity against which fronting commitments exist	30,000					$ 30,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount							$ 4,100
Entergy Texas [Member] | Mortgage Bonds Four Percent Due March 2029 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt					$ 300,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage					4.00%
Entergy Texas [Member] | Mortgage Bonds Four Point Five Percent Due March 2039 [Domain] [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt					$ 400,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage					4.50%
Entergy Texas [Member] | 7.125% Series First Mortgage Bonds Due February 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage				7.125%
Repayments of Debt				$ 500,000
Entergy Texas [Member] | Mortgage Bonds Three Point Fifty Five Percent Due September 2049 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt	$ 300,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.55%					3.55%
System Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	$ 200,000					$ 200,000
System Energy [Member] | Two Point Five Percent Series 2019 Revenue Refunding Bonds Due April 2022 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt			$ 134,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage			2.50%
System Energy [Member] | Two Point Five Percent Series 2019 Revenue Refunding Bonds Due April 2022 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage			5.875%
Repayments of Debt			$ 134,000
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	139,000					$ 139,000
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage						0.20%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	139,000				$ 139,000	$ 139,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						4.07%
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Authorized Short Term Borrowings	150,000					$ 150,000
Amount of total borrowing capacity against which fronting commitments exist	10,000					10,000
System Energy VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	53,600					$ 53,600
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.42%
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount						0.10%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 16, 2021
Entergy Arkansas VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	$ 30,300					$ 30,300
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.41%
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount						0.10%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 16, 2021
Entergy Arkansas VIE [Member] | Three Point Six Five Percent Series L Notes Due July Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.65%					3.65%
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	$ 65,500					$ 65,500
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.41%
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount						0.10%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 16, 2021
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE [Member] | Three Point Nine Two Percent Series H Dues February Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage	3.92%					3.92%
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	$ 84,300					$ 84,300
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.37%
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount						0.10%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 16, 2021
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage						0.225%
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Maximum [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Consolidated debt ratio of total capitalization						70.00%
Maximum [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Consolidated debt ratio of total capitalization						70.00%
Maximum [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Maximum [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Maximum [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio of total capitalization						70.00%
Maximum [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio	0.65					0.65
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage						0.075%
Credit Facility Of Twenty Million [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	$ 20,000					$ 20,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.17%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Apr. 30, 2020
Credit Facility Of Three Hundred Fifty Million [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	350,000					$ 350,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.17%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 14, 2024
Credit Facility Of One Hundred And Fifty Million [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	150,000					$ 150,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.17%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 14, 2024
Credit Facility Of One Hundred And Fifty Million [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	150,000					$ 150,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	1,300					1,300
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.54%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Sep. 14, 2024
Credit Facility Of Thirty Seven Point Five Million [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	37,500					$ 37,500
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.54%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						May 31, 2020
Credit Facility Of Thirty Five Million [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	35,000					$ 35,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.54%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						May 31, 2020
Credit Facility Of Ten Million [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	10,000					$ 10,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	0					0
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.54%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						May 31, 2020
Credit Facility Of Twenty Five Million [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of Facility	25,000					$ 25,000
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	800					800
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding	$ 0					$ 0
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate During Period						3.32%
Line of Credit Facility, Expiration Date						Nov. 20, 2021