Schedule I Financial Statements of Cleco Corporation, Cash Distributions and Equity Contributions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cleco Power [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Unrestricted Member's Equity	$ 852,100,000
Cleco Power [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Ratio of Indebtedness to Net Capital	0.65
Cleco Corporation [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Cash distributions received from affiliates	116,725,000	106,100,000	63,700,000
Equity contributions made to affiliates		0
Cleco Corporation [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Cash distributions received from affiliates	115,000,000	105,000,000	58,000,000
Equity contributions made to affiliates	138,100,000
Cleco Corporation [Member] | Diversified Lands [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Cash distributions received from affiliates	0	0	2,900,000
Cleco Corporation [Member] | Perryville [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Cash distributions received from affiliates	975,000	700,000	1,500,000
Cleco Corporation [Member] | Attala [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Cash distributions received from affiliates	750,000	400,000	1,300,000
Cleco Corporation [Member] | Midstream [Member]
Distributions and Equity Contributions [Abstract]
Equity contributions made to affiliates			$ 16,200,000