Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Equity Investments, Revenue and Fuel Costs, AFUDC (Details)					12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Attala [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Perryville [Member]	Apr. 29, 2011 APH [Member] Acadia Power Partners [Member]	Apr. 29, 2011 APH [Member] Cajun [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Midstream [Member] Evangeline [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Short-term RFP [Member] MW	Dec. 31, 2011 Long-term RFP [Member] MW
Equity Income
Ownership interest (in hundredths)	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%					100.00%
Capacity and energy									250	730
AFUDC
Composite AFUDC rate, pre-tax (in hundredths)					12.00%	11.90%	12.30%
Composite AFUDC rate, net of tax (in hundredths)					7.50%	7.40%	7.60%
Ownership interest exchanged (in hundredths)				50.00%