Fair Value Accounting Fair Value Accounting, Restricted Investments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended														12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 Available-for-sale Securities [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Municipal Bonds [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Commercial Paper [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member]	Jul. 02, 2012 Cleco Power [Member]	Sep. 30, 2007 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Percentage Of Portfolio	50.00%
LPSC authorized storm reserve funding										$ 50,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Change in Net Unrealized Gain (Loss), Net of tax															(100,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses				28,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value				8,359,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses				0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value				0
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Next Twelve Months, Fair Value		6,204,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Year Two Through Five, Fair Value		4,648,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure		10,852,000		10,203,000		649,000		10,200,000			10,203,000	0	10,203,000	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		10,877,000		10,228,000		649,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		3,000	[1]	3,000	[1]	0	[1]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		28,000	[1]	28,000	[1]	0	[1]
Restricted cash and cash equivalents transfered to an investment manager									$ 13,000,000

[1] Unrealized gains and losses are recorded to the restricted storm reserve.