Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Additional Disclosures (Details) (Cleco Power [Member], USD $)	36 Months Ended				1 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015 Evangeline [Member] Evangeline Power Purchase Agreement [Member] MW	Mar. 31, 2012 Evangeline [Member] Evangeline Power Purchase Agreement [Member]	May 07, 2013 Swap [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Construction carrying costs - liability [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Deferred storm surcredits, net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Deferred storm surcredits, net [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Deferred storm surcredits, net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 AMI Deferred Revenue Requirement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 AMI Deferred Revenue Requirement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 AMI Deferred Revenue Requirement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 AMI Deferred Revenue Requirement [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Construction carrying costs - asset [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Construction carrying costs - asset [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Fuel and purchased power [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Fuel and purchased power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Fuel and purchased power [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Biomass costs [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Biomass costs [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Financing costs [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Financing costs [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Financing costs [Member] Swap [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Withdrawal from Restricted Storm Reserve					$ 10,000,000
Amortization period (in years)										P15Y		P4Y
Amount of construction carrying costs returned to customers				166,000,000
Long-term power purchase agreement, term (in years)		3 years
Capacity and energy provided by a power purchase agreement (in MW)	730
Regulatory assets						16,738,000	6,211,000	3,960,000	1,483,000		20,000,000	0	4,697,000	6,851,000	6,851,000	7,833,000	122,000	145,000	9,864,000	7,282,000
Gain (Loss) on the settlement of forward starting interest rate derivative			(3,300,000)
Gain (Loss) deferred as a regulatory asset on settlement of forward starting interest rate derivative			(2,900,000)																		(2,900,000)
Percentage of total fuel cost regulated by LPSC (in hundredths)														88.00%
Increase (decrease) in other regulatory assets															$ (1,000,000)