Affiliate Transactions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									$ 202,000	$ 1,564,000	$ 11,461,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	0				831,000				0	831,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	0				155,000				0	155,000
Support Group [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other operations											2,417,000
Maintenance											38,000
Taxes other than income taxes											(18,000)
Other expenses											17,000
Cleco Power [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other operations											29,000
Maintenance											30,000
Generation Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other operations											3,365,000
Maintenance											4,157,000
CLE Intrastate [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fuel purchased											917,000
Evangeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									0	0	5,999,000
Perryville [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									0	0	81,000
Attala [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									0	0	3,000
Acadia [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									202,000	1,564,000	5,378,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE					800,000					800,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE					200,000					200,000
Cleco Power [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									1,389,000	1,371,000	1,395,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	2,405,000				2,738,000				2,405,000	2,738,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	9,311,000				7,945,000				9,311,000	7,945,000
Distribution payments to parent	50,000,000	25,000,000	25,000,000	30,000,000	25,000,000	50,000,000	50,000,000	25,000,000	130,000,000	150,000,000	30,000,000
Non-cash equity contributions from parent									0	225,700,000	0
Transfer of pension plan liability and an equal amount of cash									2,101,000	1,923,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Acadia Unit 1 [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-cash equity contributions from parent									0	225,700,000	0
Cleco Power [Member] | Cleco Corporation [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	18,000				348,000				18,000	348,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	827,000				1,145,000				827,000	1,145,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Support Group [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other operations									43,124,000	39,633,000	36,593,000
Maintenance									1,625,000	1,650,000	1,916,000
Taxes other than income taxes									(1,000)	(5,000)	(199,000)
Other expenses									1,244,000	1,050,000	1,080,000
Affiliate revenue									1,349,000	1,332,000	1,352,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	2,207,000				1,536,000				2,207,000	1,536,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	8,066,000				6,646,000				8,066,000	6,646,000
Transfer of pension plan liability and an equal amount of cash									1,844,000	1,678,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Generation Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	0				18,000				0	18,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	0				2,000				0	2,000
Transfer of pension plan liability and an equal amount of cash									220,000	220,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Evangeline [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other expenses									4,000	0	0
Affiliate revenue									26,000	26,000	22,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	12,000				3,000				12,000	3,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	214,000				0				214,000	0
Cleco Power [Member] | Acadia [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									0	0	1,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	124,000				810,000				124,000	810,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	196,000				150,000				196,000	150,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Diversified Lands [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other expenses									82,000	19,000	4,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	20,000				14,000				20,000	14,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	3,000				0				3,000	0
Cleco Power [Member] | Midstream [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Affiliate revenue									14,000	13,000	20,000
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	24,000				5,000				24,000	5,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	5,000				2,000				5,000	2,000
Transfer of pension plan liability and an equal amount of cash									37,000	25,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Others [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE	0				4,000				0	4,000
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE	$ 0				$ 0				$ 0	$ 0