Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Cajun [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cajun [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Apr. 29, 2011 Cajun [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Oxbow [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Oxbow [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Oxbow [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Oxbow [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Oxbow [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsidiares Less Than One Hundred Percent Owned By Cleco Innovations LLC Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Subsidiares Less Than One Hundred Percent Owned By Cleco Innovations LLC Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsidiares Less Than One Hundred Percent Owned By Cleco Innovations LLC Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Subsidiares Less Than One Hundred Percent Owned By Cleco Innovations LLC Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Subsidiares Less Than One Hundred Percent Owned By Cleco Innovations LLC Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Value of plant acquisition (proceeds)											$ (298,800,000)
Variable interest entity, ownership percentage (in hundredths)														50.00%
Ownership percentage by other parties (in hundredths)														50.00%
Summarized financial information [Abstract]
Current assets												1,753,000		1,753,000		1,711,000
Property, plant and equipment, net												23,119,000		23,119,000		23,339,000
Other assets												4,247,000		4,247,000		4,128,000
Total assets												29,119,000		29,119,000		29,178,000
Current liabilities												24,000		24,000		40,000
Other liabilities												30,000		30,000		73,000
Partner's capital												29,065,000		29,065,000		29,065,000
Total liabilities and partners' capital												29,119,000		29,119,000		29,178,000
Operating revenue										5,227,000		450,000	382,000	1,125,000	880,000
Operating expenses										5,914,000		450,000	382,000	1,125,000	880,000
EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationGainOnSalesOfAssets										71,422,000
Other income										929,000
Income (loss) before taxes										71,664,000		0	0	0	0
Equity method investment, income tax expense (benefit)								24,000,000
Equity income (loss) from equity method investments [Abstract]
Total equity income (loss)	0	(1,000)	1,000	62,051,000		0	0		0	62,053,000							0	(1,000)	1,000	(2,000)
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Purchase price												12,873,000		12,873,000		12,873,000
Cash contributions												1,659,000		1,659,000		1,659,000
Total equity investment in investee	14,541,000		14,541,000		14,540,000							14,532,000		14,532,000		14,532,000					100,000
Comparison of carrying amount of assets and liabilities to maximum loss exposure [Abstract]
Net assets/liabilities												29,065,000		29,065,000		29,065,000
Entity's 50% equity												14,532,000		14,532,000		14,532,000
Cleco's maximum exposure to loss												$ 14,532,000		$ 14,532,000		$ 14,532,000