Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Equity investment in investees	$ 16,380		$ 16,380		$ 14,540
Cash contributions to Oxbow			1,840	$ 0
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Total equity investment in investee	16,380		16,380		14,540
Cleco Power [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Equity investment in investees	16,372		16,372		14,532
Cash contributions to Oxbow			1,840	0
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Total equity investment in investee	16,372		16,372		14,532
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information [Abstract]
Current assets	2,159		2,159		2,792
Total assets	33,411		33,411		29,096
Current liabilities	666		666		31
Partners' capital	32,745		32,745		29,065
Total liabilities and partners' capital	33,411		33,411		29,096
Operating revenue	942	$ 584	2,656	1,595
Operating expenses	942	584	2,656	1,595
Income before taxes	0	$ 0	0	$ 0
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Property, plant, and equipment, net [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information [Abstract]
Other assets	23,806		23,806		22,457
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information [Abstract]
Other assets	7,446		$ 7,446		3,847
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Ownership percentage by Cleco Power (in hundredths)			50.00%
Ownership percentage by other parties (in hundredths)			50.00%
Equity investment in investees	16,372		$ 16,372		14,532
Cash contributions to Oxbow			1,800
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Purchase price	12,873		12,873		12,873
Cash contributions	3,499		3,499		1,659
Total equity investment in investee	16,372		16,372		14,532
Comparison of carrying amount of assets and liabilities to maximum loss exposure [Abstract]
Cleco Power’s 50% equity	16,372		16,372		14,532
Cleco Power’s maximum exposure to loss	16,372		16,372		14,532
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information [Abstract]
Partners' capital	32,745		32,745		$ 29,065
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Diversified Lands [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Equity investment in investees	100		100
Components of equity method investments [Abstract]
Total equity investment in investee	$ 100		$ 100