Income Taxes, Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective rate (in hundredths)	32.50%	30.90%
Cleco Power [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective rate (in hundredths)	33.90%	35.10%