Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 7,992,515	$ 0	$ 5,433,433	$ 7,977,702	$ (23,531)	$ 2,548	$ (5,397,637)	$ 1,260,167	$ 0	$ 596,994	$ 613,721	$ 49,452	$ 1,177,870	$ 2,376,754	$ 5,308,804	$ 5,355,204	$ (46,400)	$ 415,548	$ 710,809	$ 52,459	$ 658,350
Consolidated net income	136,200	3,439	0	132,761	0	0	0	17,350	0	0	17,350	0	22,843	36,255	111,593	111,593	0	10,882	22,308	22,308	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(160,887)	0	0	(160,887)	0	0	0											(6,250)	(63,240)	(6,740)	(56,500)
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash													(238)	(357)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(3,439)	(3,439)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	79,145	0	0	0	79,145	0	0								(501)	0	(501)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(4,307)	0	16,170	0	0	0	(20,477)
Other															24	24	0
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Reclassification from AOCI to Retained Earnings, Tax Effect	(16,538)	0	0	(32,043)	15,505	0	0								(3,787)	6,262	(10,049)
Consolidated net income	924,877							113,985					111,818	247,701	514,260			50,558	68,667
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								0						350,000
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(10,317)												(715)	(1,071)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,517														(1,502)
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	7,974,943	0	5,417,263	8,493,790	(561,498)	2,548	(5,377,160)	1,277,517	0	596,994	631,071	49,452	1,200,475	2,412,652	5,416,133	5,473,083	(56,950)	420,180	669,877	68,027	601,850
Consolidated net income	248,860	3,439	0	245,421	0	0	0	30,789	0	0	30,789	0	38,242	82,556	184,358	184,358	0	18,269	23,387	23,387	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent														350,000
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(160,935)	0	0	(160,935)	0	0	0								(56,000)	(56,000)	0	(8,250)
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash													(239)	(357)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(3,439)	(3,439)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(52,144)	0	0	0	(52,144)	0	0								(501)	0	(501)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(15,176)	0	(12,141)	0	0	0	(3,035)
Other															(10)	(10)	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,022,461	0	5,429,404	8,578,276	(613,642)	2,548	(5,374,125)	1,308,306	0	596,994	661,860	49,452	1,238,478	2,844,851	5,543,980	5,601,431	(57,451)	430,199	693,264	91,414	601,850
Consolidated net income	539,818	3,439	0	536,379	0	0	0	65,846	0	0	65,846	0	50,733	128,890	218,308	218,308	0	21,407	22,972	22,972	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(161,044)	0	0	(161,044)	0	0	0											(9,250)	(1,240)	(1,240)	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash													(238)	(357)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(3,439)	(3,439)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(18,484)	0	0	0	(18,484)	0	0								(500)	0	(500)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(33,400)	0	(12,292)	0	0	0	(21,108)
Other															(10)	(10)	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,412,712	0	5,441,696	8,953,611	(632,126)	2,548	(5,353,017)	1,374,152	0	596,994	727,706	49,452	1,288,973	2,973,384	5,761,778	5,819,729	(57,951)	442,356	714,996	113,146	601,850
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,844,305	0	5,951,431	8,721,150	(557,173)	2,616	(5,273,719)	1,422,402	0	596,994	775,956	49,452	1,292,226	2,983,103	5,902,918	5,909,071	(6,153)	444,950	737,198	135,348	601,850
Consolidated net income	258,646	4,109	0	254,537	0	0	0	21,342	0	0	21,342	0	15,398	39,121	127,633	127,633	0	9,023	23,578	23,578	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(172,591)	0	0	(172,591)	0	0	0								(49,000)	(49,000)	0		(45,500)	(45,500)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,109)	(4,109)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,827	0	0	0	12,827	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(31,289)	0	31,248	0	0	0	(62,537)
Other															(11)	(11)	0
Consolidated net income	868,639							133,502					98,302	239,136	565,977			46,934	73,081
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								87,500						0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(12,328)												0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	144,207														(2,907)
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	50,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,970,367	0	5,920,183	8,809,902	(551,152)	2,616	(5,211,182)	1,443,744	0	596,994	797,298	49,452	1,307,624	3,022,224	5,980,571	5,987,693	(7,122)	453,973	715,276	113,426	601,850
Consolidated net income	240,533	4,109	0	236,424	0	0	0	38,936	0	0	38,936	0	26,667	50,299	183,084	183,084	0	13,003	24,472	24,472	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(172,861)	0	0	(172,861)	0	0	0							(115,000)	(53,000)	(53,000)	0		(42,500)	(42,500)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,109)	(4,109)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	120,748	0	0	0	120,748	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	(607,650)	0	(607,566)	0	0	(84)	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Stock Issued, Issuance Costs	(7)	0	(7)	0	0	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(35,182)	0	(11,791)	0	0	0	(23,391)
Other															(14)	(14)	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	9,797,503	0	6,539,533	8,873,465	(430,404)	2,700	(5,187,791)	1,482,680	0	596,994	836,234	49,452	1,334,291	2,957,523	6,109,672	6,117,763	(8,091)	466,976	697,248	95,398	601,850
Consolidated net income	369,459	4,219	0	365,240	0	0	0	73,224	0	0	73,224	0	56,237	149,716	255,260	255,260	0	24,908	25,031	25,031	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								87,500	0	87,500	0	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(180,956)	0	0	(180,956)	0	0	0	(110)	0	0	(110)	0			(53,000)	(53,000)	0		(22,500)	(22,500)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,219)	(4,219)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,632	0	0	0	10,632	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	(35,000)	(35,000)	0	0	0	0	0	(33,486)	(35,000)	1,514	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(42,642)	0	(13,476)	0	0	0	(29,166)
Other															(8)	(8)	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 10,070,061	$ 35,000	$ 6,553,009	$ 9,057,749	$ (419,772)	$ 2,700	$ (5,158,625)	$ 1,676,780	$ 35,000	$ 682,980	$ 909,348	$ 49,452	$ 1,390,528	$ 3,107,239	$ 6,310,955	$ 6,320,015	$ (9,060)	$ 491,884	$ 699,779	$ 97,929	$ 601,850