Fair Value Accounting Fair Value Accounting, Restricted Investments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended																12 Months Ended																							12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 Available-for-sale Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Available-for-sale Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Commercial Paper [Member]	Jul. 02, 2012 Cleco Power [Member]	Sep. 30, 2007 Cleco Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Debt Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Available-for-sale Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cleco Power [Member] Available-for-sale Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Cleco Power [Member] Restricted Investement, Noncurrent [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Municipal Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Corporate Bond Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Federal agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Estimated Fair Value [Member] Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Commercial Paper [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Cleco Power [Member] Restricted Storm Reserve [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)																		$ 0	$ 0
LPSC authorized storm reserve funding																50,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Change in Net Unrealized Gain (Loss), Net of tax																																								100,000	(100,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses																				9,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value																				3,156,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses																				6,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value																				2,622,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, One year or less, Fair Value																		5,702,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Maturities, Over one year through five years, Fair Value																		7,127,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value Disclosure																		12,829,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	12,834,000	10,877,000	9,838,000	10,228,000	513,000	0	1,000,000	0	1,483,000	649,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10,000	3,000	8,000	3,000	2,000	0	0	0	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	15,000	28,000	15,000	28,000	0	0	0	0	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Debt Securities	12,829,000	10,852,000	9,831,000	10,203,000	515,000	0	1,000,000	0	1,483,000	649,000	9,800,000	500,000	1,000,000	1,500,000							9,800,000	500,000	1,000,000	9,831,000	10,203,000	515,000	0	1,000,000	0	1,483,000	649,000	9,831,000	10,203,000	515,000	0	1,000,000	0	1,483,000	649,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents transfered to an investment manager															13,000,000
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments, Available-for-sale Securities																	$ 0