Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 33,553	$ 38,752	$ 100,766	$ 116,256
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	73,261	66,854	221,114	200,562
Expected return on assets	(103,751)	(110,535)	(311,494)	(331,605)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	0	99	0	297
Amortization of loss	60,395	68,526	177,233	205,578
Net other postretirement benefit cost	79,749	63,696	205,210	191,088
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	16,291	0	17,591	0
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,260	6,189	15,782	18,567
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,175	13,004	42,525	39,012
Expected return on assets	(20,177)	(21,851)	(60,529)	(65,553)
Amortization of loss	11,840	13,412	35,522	40,236
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,098	10,754	33,300	32,262
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	7,284	8,446	21,852	25,338
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	15,882	14,940	47,646	44,820
Expected return on assets	(22,651)	(24,809)	(67,955)	(74,427)
Amortization of loss	11,643	14,450	34,929	43,350
Net other postretirement benefit cost	12,158	13,027	36,472	39,081
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,629	1,822	4,887	5,466
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,068	3,769	12,204	11,307
Expected return on assets	(5,969)	(6,502)	(17,905)	(19,506)
Amortization of loss	3,104	3,610	9,313	10,830
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,832	2,699	8,499	8,097
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	568	673	1,706	2,019
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,873	1,813	5,621	5,439
Expected return on assets	(2,696)	(2,993)	(8,089)	(8,979)
Amortization of loss	1,529	1,954	4,588	5,862
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,274	1,447	3,826	4,341
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,350	1,589	4,050	4,767
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,613	3,348	10,837	10,044
Expected return on assets	(5,862)	(6,523)	(17,586)	(19,569)
Amortization of loss	2,334	2,626	7,002	7,878
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,435	1,040	4,303	3,120
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,549	1,776	4,649	5,328
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,364	3,227	10,091	9,681
Expected return on assets	(4,678)	(4,991)	(14,032)	(14,973)
Amortization of loss	2,850	3,715	8,550	11,145
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,085	3,727	9,258	11,181
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,675	6,782	14,025	20,346
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	11,975	12,681	35,925	38,043
Expected return on assets	(9,562)	(10,373)	(28,686)	(31,119)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(8,844)	(9,251)	(26,532)	(27,753)
Amortization of loss	358	3,432	1,074	10,296
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,398)	3,271	(4,194)	9,813
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	591	793	1,773	2,379
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,807	1,997	5,421	5,991
Expected return on assets	(3,991)	(4,342)	(11,973)	(13,026)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,238)	(1,278)	(3,714)	(3,834)
Amortization of loss	144	289	432	867
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,687)	(2,541)	(8,061)	(7,623)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,160	1,556	3,480	4,668
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,666	2,789	7,998	8,367
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,837)	(1,934)	(5,511)	(5,802)
Amortization of loss	(174)	388	(522)	1,164
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,815	2,799	5,445	8,397
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	262	321	786	963
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	670	683	2,010	2,049
Expected return on assets	(1,199)	(1,303)	(3,597)	(3,909)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(439)	(456)	(1,317)	(1,368)
Amortization of loss	181	377	543	1,131
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(525)	(378)	(1,575)	(1,134)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	92	129	276	387
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	395	417	1,185	1,251
Expected return on assets	(1,237)	(1,313)	(3,711)	(3,939)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(171)	(186)	(513)	(558)
Amortization of loss	58	34	174	102
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(863)	(919)	(2,589)	(2,757)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	236	330	708	990
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	854	939	2,562	2,817
Expected return on assets	(2,276)	(2,446)	(6,828)	(7,338)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(561)	(579)	(1,683)	(1,737)
Amortization of loss	121	206	363	618
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,626)	(1,550)	(4,878)	(4,650)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	243	306	729	918
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	476	500	1,428	1,500
Expected return on assets	(697)	(783)	(2,091)	(2,349)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(363)	(378)	(1,089)	(1,134)
Amortization of loss	89	233	267	699
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(252)	(122)	(756)	(366)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,600	4,200	16,300	19,700
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits	955	212	4,600	7,000
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	67	114	211	369
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits		7		30
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	38	42	122	138
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	69	73	257	230
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits			40
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	5	20	16	62
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 119	$ 122	$ 365	529
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits				$ 139