Debt, Additional Disclosures (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt outstanding	$ 0	$ 0
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities	1,370,000,000	1,330,000,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current	18,272,000	17,182,000
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds	15,824,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	14,876,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities	2,448,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent	2,305,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	35,200,000
Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt outstanding	0	0
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities	1,310,000,000	1,330,000,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current	18,272,000	17,182,000
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds	15,824,000	14,876,000
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities	2,448,000	2,305,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	(16,800,000)
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	(2,300,000)
Line of Credit [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	52,000,000
Debt Discount Amortization [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	400,000
Debt Discount Amortization [Member] \| Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	400,000
Bonds [Member] \| Cleco Power's senior notes, 4.95%, due 2015 [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt	50,000,000	50,000,000
Bonds [Member] \| Cleco Power's senior notes, 4.95%, due 2015 [Member] \| Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt	50,000,000	50,000,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Loans Payable to Bank	35,000,000	35,000,000
Notes Payable to Banks [Member] \| Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Loans Payable to Bank	35,000,000	35,000,000
Unsecured Debt [Member] \| Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds	15,800,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	(14,900,000)
Unsecured Debt [Member] \| Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds [Member] \| Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, principal payments for CKR bonds	15,800,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	(14,900,000)
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities	2,500,000
Capital Lease Obligations [Member] \| Cleco Power [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Capital lease payments/Current liabilities	2,500,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net	$ (2,300,000)

Amount of capital lease obligation due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Net increase or decrease in the carrying amount of the debt instrument for the period.

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