Debt (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	$ 0	$ 0
Long-term outstanding	1,330,000,000
Long-term due within one year	88,500,000
Repayments of long-term debt	(28,300,000)
Capital lease payments	900,000
Debt premium amortizations	600,000
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0
Cleco Power [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	0	0
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0
Cleco Powers Senior Notes 4.33% due 2027 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt	50,000,000
Interest rate (in hundredths)	4.33%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	May 15, 2027
Cleco Powers Senior Notes 4.33% due 2027 [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	May 15, 2027
Cleco Katrina/Ritas Storm Recovery Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term due within one year	13,500,000
Cleco Power Senior Notes 5.375% Due 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term due within one year	75,000,000
Cleco Corporation's credit facility draws [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Decrease in credit facility	(10,000,000)
Bonds [Member] | Cleco Power's DeSoto Parish pollution control revenue bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest accrued	600,000
Interest rate (in hundredths)	5.875%
Repayments of long-term debt	(50,100,000)
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Sep. 01, 2029
Bonds [Member] | Cleco Power's Rapides Parish pollution control revenue bonds[Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest accrued	300,000
Interest rate (in hundredths)	5.875%
Repayments of long-term debt	(11,200,000)
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Sep. 01, 2029
Bonds [Member] | Cleco Katrina/Ritas Storm Recovery Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Scheduled payment	$ (6,700,000)