Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Operating activities
Net Income	$ 25,924	$ 27,133
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	45,137	38,586
Unearned compensation expense	1,977	1,510
Allowance for other funds used during construction	(1,631)	(1,164)
Net deferred income taxes	10,366	10,030
Deferred fuel costs	(148)	4,493
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance	(1,113)	(2,071)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(1,541)	12,059
Unbilled revenue	5,714	4,845
Fuel, materials and supplies inventory	6,985	10,619
Prepayments	3,237	1,628
Accounts payable	(13,672)	(37,345)
Customer deposits	2,598	3,074
Postretirement benefit obligations	2,142	(32,422)
Regulatory assets and liabilities, net	(4,367)	(4,836)
Other deferred accounts	(4,691)	2,121
Taxes accrued	(3,702)	55,930
Interest accrued	17,283	13,276
Other operating	46	(4,019)
Net cash provided by operating activities	90,544	103,447
Investing activities
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(47,139)	(44,887)
Allowance for other funds used during construction	1,631	1,164
Return of investment in company-owned life insurance	1,303	0
Premiums paid on company-/trust-owned life insurance	(1,404)	0
Return of equity investment in tax credit fund	478	9
Contributions to tax credit fund	(11,182)	(12,081)
Transfer of cash (to) from restricted accounts	(4,367)	5,154
Purchase of restricted investments	0	(1,447)
Sale of restricted investments	11,138	0
Maturity of restricted investments	1,458	1,409
Other investing	122	969
Net cash used in investing activities	(47,962)	(49,710)
Financing activities
Draws on credit facility	40,000	108,000
Payments on credit facility	(50,000)	(118,000)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	60,000
Retirement of long-term debt	(7,581)	(7,129)
Repurchase of long-term debt	0	(60,000)
Repurchase of common stock	(12,449)	0
Dividends paid on common stock	(22,450)	(20,593)
Other financing	(601)	(568)
Net cash used in financing activities	(53,081)	(38,290)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(10,499)	15,447
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	28,656	31,020
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	18,157	46,467
Supplementary cash flow information
Interest paid (net of amount capitalized)	4,346	6,326
Income taxes paid (refunded), net	9,971	(45,343)
Supplementary non-cash investing and financing activities
Accrued additions to property, plant, and equipment	29,476	9,191
Non-cash additions to property, plant, and equipment, net	0	1,134
Employee Stock [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Supplementary non-cash investing and financing activities
Issuance of common stock - ESPP	75	78
Cleco Power [Member]
Operating activities
Net Income	26,307	27,793
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	42,358	35,094
Allowance for other funds used during construction	(1,631)	(1,164)
Net deferred income taxes	14,472	14,560
Deferred fuel costs	(148)	4,493
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(1,524)	12,098
Accounts and notes receivable, affiliate	(1,389)	2,033
Unbilled revenue	5,714	4,845
Fuel, materials and supplies inventory	7,018	10,655
Prepayments	3,055	1,062
Accounts payable	(7,806)	(31,744)
Accounts and notes payable, affiliate	(1,150)	(3,621)
Customer deposits	2,598	3,074
Postretirement benefit obligations	1,307	(32,903)
Regulatory assets and liabilities, net	(4,367)	(4,836)
Other deferred accounts	(4,691)	1,650
Taxes accrued	(5,719)	8,688
Interest accrued	14,388	13,457
Other operating	403	(2,136)
Net cash provided by operating activities	89,195	63,098
Investing activities
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(46,894)	(43,599)
Allowance for other funds used during construction	1,631	1,164
Return of investment in company-owned life insurance	1,303	0
Transfer of cash (to) from restricted accounts	(4,367)	5,154
Purchase of restricted investments	0	(1,447)
Sale of restricted investments	11,138	0
Maturity of restricted investments	1,458	1,409
Other investing	123	988
Net cash used in investing activities	(35,608)	(36,331)
Financing activities
Draws on credit facility	20,000	90,000
Payments on credit facility	(40,000)	(90,000)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	60,000
Retirement of long-term debt	(7,581)	(7,129)
Repurchase of long-term debt	0	(60,000)
Distribution to parent	(35,000)	0
Other financing	(597)	(567)
Net cash used in financing activities	(63,178)	(7,696)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(9,591)	19,071
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	21,055	23,368
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11,464	42,439
Supplementary cash flow information
Interest paid (net of amount capitalized)	4,381	6,260
Income taxes paid (refunded), net	(788)	0
Supplementary non-cash investing and financing activities
Accrued additions to property, plant, and equipment	29,381	7,634
Non-cash additions to property, plant, and equipment, net	$ 176,244	$ 1,134