Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2012 Cajun [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Apr. 29, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Subsidiaries less than 100% owned by Cleco Innovations LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Subsidiaries less than 100% owned by Cleco Innovations LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Oxbow [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Oxbow [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Oxbow [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Value of plant acquisition (proceeds)						$ 298,800,000
Equity investment in investees, description							less than $0.1 million
Variable interest entity, ownership percentage (in hundredths)									50.00%
Ownership percentage by other parties (in hundredths)									50.00%
Summarized financial information [Abstract]
Current assets									1,641,000		1,711,000
Property, plant and equipment, net									23,284,000		23,339,000
Other assets									4,255,000		4,128,000
Total assets									29,180,000		29,178,000
Current liabilities									42,000		40,000
Other liabilities									73,000		73,000
Partner's capital									29,065,000		29,065,000
Total liabilities and partners' capital									29,180,000		29,178,000
Operating revenue				5,177,000					381,000	205,000
Operating expenses				4,824,000					381,000	205,000
Other income				872,000
Income (loss) before taxes				1,225,000					0	0
Equity method investment, income tax expense (benefit)				300,000
Equity income (loss) from equity method investments [Abstract]
Total equity income (loss)	1,000	611,000		0	612,000		1,000	(1,000)
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Purchase price									12,873,000		12,873,000
Cash contributions									1,659,000		1,659,000
Total equity investment in investee	14,541,000	14,540,000	14,540,000						14,532,000		14,532,000
Comparison of carrying amount of assets and liabilities to maximum loss exposure [Abstract]
Net assets/liabilities									29,065,000		29,065,000
Entity's 50% equity									14,532,000		14,532,000
Cleco's maximum exposure to loss									$ 14,532,000		$ 14,532,000