Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Additional Disclosures (Details) - Cleco Power [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2016	Feb. 01, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2015
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	$ 288,759	$ 288,759				$ 298,806
Increase due to timing of collections and customer usage		6,740	$ (7,251)
Amended lignite mining agreement contingency
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	0	0				3,781
Corporate franchise tax
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	2,616	2,616				373
Amortization of Regulatory Asset		600
MATS costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	5,694	5,694				0
Other
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	944	944				357
Fuel and purchased power
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	$ 19,543	$ 19,543				$ 12,910
Percentage of total fuel cost regulated	77.00%	76.00%
Increase in fuel and purchased power		$ 6,600
Increase due to timing of collections and customer usage		9,100
Decrease in FTRs		2,500
Approved recovery [Member] | Corporate franchise tax
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	$ 300	$ 300		$ 2,500
Regulatory Asset, Amortization Period	12 months
Approved recovery [Member] | MATS costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount					$ 7,100
Regulatory Asset, Amortization Period	3 years
Approved recovery [Member] | Other
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount				$ 600			$ 100
Regulatory Asset, Amortization Period	3 years