Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Net periodic benefit costs

The components of net periodic pension and other benefit cost for the three months ended March 31, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
	2016			2015			2016		2015
(THOUSANDS)	PENSION BENEFITS						OTHER BENEFITS
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	2,262		$	2,526		$	380	$	395
Interest cost	5,507			5,127			420		401
Expected return on plan assets	(6,010		)	(5,834		)	—		—
Amortizations:
Prior period service (credit) cost	(18		)	(18		)	30		30
Net loss	2,469			3,346			160		210
Net periodic benefit cost	$	4,210		$	5,147		$	990	$	1,036

401(k) Plan [Abstract]

401(k) Plan expense

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the three monthsended March 31, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2016		2015
401(k) Plan expense	$	1,374	$	1,425

Other Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of current and non-current portions

The current and non-current portions of the other benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, are as follows:

(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2016		AT DEC. 31, 2015
Cleco
Current	$	3,613	$	3,613
Non-current	$	38,887	$	39,457
Cleco Power
Current	$	3,140	$	3,140
Non-current	$	33,801	$	34,300

SERP Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of current and non-current portions

The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, are as follows:

(THOUSANDS)	AT MAR. 31, 2016		AT DEC. 31, 2015
Cleco
Current	$	3,238	$	3,238
Non-current	$	69,632	$	69,049
Cleco Power
Current	$	1,000	$	1,000
Non-current	$	21,371	$	21,321

Net periodic benefit costs

The components of net periodic benefit cost related to SERP for the three months ended March 31, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:

	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2016		2015
Components of periodic benefit costs:
Service cost	$	583	$	630
Interest cost	731		758
Amortizations:
Prior period service cost	13		13
Net loss	655		726
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,982	$	2,127