Income Taxes, Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	31.60%	30.50%	32.00%	30.70%
Cleco Power [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	34.30%	35.50%	34.10%	35.30%