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The Company (Details)
Dec. 31, 2014
entity
Mar. 14, 2014
generationunit
MW
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]    
Number of transmission interconnection facility subsidiaries 2cnl_NumberOfTransmissionInterconnectionFacilitySubsidiaries  
Cleco Power [Member]    
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]    
Number of generation units owned 11cnl_NumberOfGenerationUnitsOwned
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
 
Nameplate capacity (MW) 3,340cnl_NamePlateCapacityOfGenerationUnit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
 
Approximate number of customers served 286,000cnl_ApproximateNumberOfCustomersServed
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
 
Cleco Power [Member] | Oxbow [Member]    
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]    
Ownership interest received (in hundredths) 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= cnl_OxbowMember
 
Evangeline [Member]    
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]    
Number of generation units owned   2cnl_NumberOfGenerationUnitsOwned
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cnl_EvangelineMember
Nameplate capacity (MW)   775cnl_NamePlateCapacityOfGenerationUnit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cnl_EvangelineMember