Income Taxes, Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	33.70%	25.70%	36.90%	28.30%
Cleco Power [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective income tax rates	32.00%	30.70%	35.60%	32.30%