Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Property, Plant, and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 15, 2014
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Abstract]
Capitalized Computer Software Costs, Gross	$ 11,000,000	$ 6,500,000
Capitalized Computer Software Costs, Amortization	1,400,000	1,400,000	1,200,000
Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Regulated utility plants	4,495,490,000	4,052,774,000
Other	13,470,000	273,748,000
Total property, plant, and equipment	4,508,960,000	4,326,522,000
Accumulated depreciation	(1,442,960,000)	(1,351,223,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,066,000,000	2,975,299,000
Minimum [Member]
Useful lives of property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Utility plant (in years)	5 years
Other (in years)	5 years
Maximum [Member]
Useful lives of property, plant and equipment [Abstract]
Utility plant (in years)	95 years
Other (in years)	50 years
Cleco Power [Member]
Property, Plant, and Equipment [Abstract]
Annual depreciation provisions expressed as a percentage of average depreciable property (in hundredths)	2.66%	2.70%	2.68%
Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Total property, plant, and equipment	4,495,490,000	4,052,774,000
Accumulated depreciation	(1,433,206,000)	(1,260,843,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,062,284,000	2,791,931,000
Transfer of assets from affiliate [Member] | Evangeline [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Net [Abstract]
Accumulated depreciation	(82,600,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment				$ 176,000,000