Fair Value Accounting, Restricted Investments (Details) (Cleco Power [Member], USD $)			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 02, 2012	Sep. 30, 2007	Sep. 30, 2013 Debt Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Debt Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debt Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Debt Securities [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Securities [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Debt Securities [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Debt Securities [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member] Maximum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Municipal Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Commercial Paper [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
LPSC authorized storm reserve funding		$ 50,000,000
Amount of restricted cash and cash equivalents transfered to an investment manager	13,000,000
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Available-for-sale Securities					0
Reconciliation of available-for-sale debt securities from amortized cost to fair value[Abstract]
Amortized Cost			12,287,000		12,287,000		10,877,000					9,641,000	10,228,000	515,000	0	2,131,000	649,000
Total Unrealized Gains					5,000		3,000					5,000	3,000	0	0	0	0
Total Unrealized Losses					17,000		28,000					15,000	28,000	2,000	0	0	0
Fair Value			12,275,000		12,275,000		10,852,000					9,631,000	10,203,000	513,000	0	2,131,000	649,000
Unrealized mark-to-market gain (loss) available-for-sale securities								100,000	(100,000)	100,000	(100,000)
Summary of the debt securities that were in an unrealized loss position [Abstract]
Less Than 12 Months Aggregate Unrealized Loss					9,000							7,000		2,000
Less Than 12 Months Aggregate Related Fair Value			3,211,000		3,211,000							2,698,000		513,000
12 Months or Longer Aggregate Unrealized Loss					8,000							8,000		0
12 Months or Longer Aggregate Related Fair Value			2,518,000		2,518,000							2,518,000		0
Available-for-sale securities, debt securities by contractual Maturity[Abstract]
One year or less			5,740,000		5,740,000
Over one year through five years			6,535,000		6,535,000
Total fair value			12,275,000		12,275,000		10,852,000					9,631,000	10,203,000	513,000	0	2,131,000	649,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Realized Gain (Loss)			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0