Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Summary of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Total regulatory assets, net	$ 762,384	$ 548,345
Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	288,759	298,806
Total regulatory assets, net	538,825	548,345
PPA true-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	0	(312)
Regulatory assets – deferred taxes, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	230,523	236,941
Mining costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	7,647	8,921
Interest costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,041	5,221
AROs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,789	2,462
Postretirement costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	145,667	150,274
Postretirement costs | Parent Company [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	20,513	0
Tree trimming costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,960	6,318
Training costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,785	6,863
Surcredits, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	7,878	9,661
Amended lignite mining agreement contingency | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	0	3,781
AMI deferred revenue requirement | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,045	5,318
Production operations and maintenance expenses | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	9,741	12,436
AFUDC equity gross-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	70,690	71,444
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,495	2,548
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Coughlin transaction costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,014	1,030
Financing costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,847	9,032
Financing costs | Parent Company [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	9,138	0
Biomass costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	34	50
MISO integration costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,872	2,340
Corporate franchise tax | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,616	373
Acadia FRP true-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	0	377
MATS costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,694	0
Other | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	944	357
Fuel and purchased power | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	19,543	12,910
Fair value of long-term debt | Parent Company [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	185,113	0
Debt issuance costs | Parent Company [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 8,795	$ 0