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Litigation, Other Commitments and Contingencies, and Disclosures about Guarantees, Litigation (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
plaintiff
Dec. 31, 2009
Jul. 31, 2010
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Other Litigation Matters [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Amount of estimated possible loss 8,300,000us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_OtherLitigationMattersMember
       
Dismissed litigation [Member] | Discrimination Complaint [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Loss contingency, number of plaintiffs (in ones) 11us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= cnl_DismissedlitigationMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_DiscriminationComplaintMember
       
Dismissed litigation [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Discrimination Complaint [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Loss contingency, damages sought, minimum amount   35,000,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= cnl_DismissedlitigationMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_DiscriminationComplaintMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
     
Pending Litigation [Member] | Petition for breach of fiduciary duties in proposed merger [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Loss contingency, number of plaintiffs (in ones) 7us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= us-gaap_PendingLitigationMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_PetitionforbreachoffiduciarydutiesinproposedmergerMember
       
Pending Litigation [Member] | Discrimination Complaint [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Loss contingency, number of plaintiffs (in ones) 1us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= us-gaap_PendingLitigationMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_DiscriminationComplaintMember
       
Pending Litigation [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Discrimination Complaint [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Loss contingency, damages sought, minimum amount     2,500,000us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
/ us-gaap_LitigationStatusAxis
= us-gaap_PendingLitigationMember
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= cnl_DiscriminationComplaintMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
LPSC 2009-2013 audit of fuel [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Fuel expenses included in the audit       $ 1,730,000,000us-gaap_FuelCosts
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis
= cnl_LPSC20092013auditoffuelMember
 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Member] | MISO Transmission Rates [Member]          
Litigation [Abstract]          
Current Return on Equity, Percentage (in hundredths)         12.38%us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesApprovedReturnOnEquityPercentage
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis
= cnl_MISOTransmissionRatesMember
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis
= cnl_FederalEnergyRegulatoryCommissionMember
Proposed Return on Equity, Percentage (in hundredths)         9.15%cnl_PublicUtilitiesProposedReturnonEquityPercentage
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis
= cnl_MISOTransmissionRatesMember
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis
= cnl_FederalEnergyRegulatoryCommissionMember
Requested increase to Return on Equity, Percentage (in hundredths)       0.50%us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreasePercentage
/ us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis
= cnl_MISOTransmissionRatesMember
/ us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis
= cnl_FederalEnergyRegulatoryCommissionMember