Income Taxes, Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	25.70%	34.10%	28.30%	33.00%
Cleco Power [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	30.70%	35.00%	32.30%	34.60%