Debt, Long-term Debt (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended											9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Line of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Capital Lease Obligations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Debt Discount Amortization [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Series A GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Series B GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power's solid waste disposal facility bonds, 5.25%, due 2037, mandatory tender on March 1, 2013 [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Bank Term Loan [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cleco Power [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Capital Lease Obligations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Debt Discount Amortization [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Series A GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	May 03, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Series A GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	May 03, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Series A GO Zone bonds [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Series B GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	May 07, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Series B GO Zone bonds [Member] Bonds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Cleco Power's solid waste disposal facility bonds, 5.25%, due 2037, mandatory tender on March 1, 2013 [Member] Bonds [Member]	Mar. 01, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Cleco Power's solid waste disposal facility bonds, 5.25%, due 2037, mandatory tender on March 1, 2013 [Member] Bonds [Member]	May 09, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Bank Term Loan [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Bank Term Loan [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]	Mar. 20, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Bank Term Loan [Member] Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt outstanding, total	$ 1,310,000,000											$ 1,310,000,000
Long-term debt due within one year	17,147,000	91,140,000										17,147,000	91,140,000
Principal payments for Cleco Katrina/Rita storm recovery bonds due within one year							14,900,000												14,900,000
Capital lease payments due within one year	2,200,000											2,200,000
Increase (Decrease) in debt instrument, net	(40,300,000)		(25,000,000)	(1,600,000)	(75,000,000)	300,000	(14,000,000)	50,000,000	50,000,000	(60,000,000)	35,000,000	(15,300,000)		(1,600,000)		(75,000,000)	300,000		(14,000,000)	50,000,000			50,000,000		(60,000,000)			35,000,000
Face value of outstanding bonds purchased																										60,000,000
Accrued interest paid on purchase of bonds																										1,600,000
Face amount of debt instrument																					50,000,000			50,000,000					60,000,000
Repayments of bank term loan																											25,000,000
Balance of bank term loan																												$ 35,000,000
Interest rate (in ten-thousandths)															0.93%						0.94%			4.25%		0.11%
Component of basis spread, percentage of variable interest rate (in ten-thousandths)																						65.00%
Basis spread on variable interest rate (in ten-thousandths)																		0.75%				0.82%