Fair Value Accounting, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures(Details)		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / MW	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / MW	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / MW	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / MW
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Concentration of Risk, Cash and Cash Equivalents		$ 12,700,000	$ 12,700,000			$ 12,700,000
Transfers between fair value levels		$ 0	$ 0			$ 0		$ 0
Cleco Power [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
FTRs Forward Price High | $ / MW		6.95	6.95			6.95		4.51
FTR Forward Price Low | $ / MW		(2.25)	(2.25)			(2.25)		(3.63)
Concentration of Risk, Cash and Cash Equivalents		$ 3,500,000	$ 3,500,000			$ 3,500,000
FTRs [Member] | Cleco Power [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Beginning fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net	$ 1,866,000		1,866,000	$ 7,398,000	$ 1,813,000	7,398,000	$ 9,949,000
Unrealized gains (losses)			1,035,000		3,780,000	203,000	2,070,000
Purchases			14,632,000		20,087,000	14,678,000	20,151,000
Settlements			(3,915,000)		(3,706,000)	(8,661,000)	(10,196,000)
Ending fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net		13,618,000	13,618,000		21,974,000	13,618,000	21,974,000
Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		171,752,000	171,752,000			171,752,000		$ 87,363,000
FTR assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000		7,673,000
Total Assets		185,741,000	185,741,000			185,741,000		95,036,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		1,470,962,000	1,470,962,000			1,470,962,000		1,429,989,000
FTR liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000		275,000
Total Liabilities		1,471,333,000	1,471,333,000			1,471,333,000		1,430,264,000
Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Cleco Power [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		0	0			0		0
FTR assets		0	0			0		0
Total Assets		0	0			0		0
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		0	0			0		0
FTR liabilities		0	0			0		0
Total Liabilities		0	0			0		0
Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Cleco Power [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		171,752,000	171,752,000			171,752,000		87,363,000
FTR assets		0	0			0		0
Total Assets		171,752,000	171,752,000			171,752,000		87,363,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		1,470,962,000	1,470,962,000			1,470,962,000		1,429,989,000
FTR liabilities		0	0			0		0
Total Liabilities		1,470,962,000	1,470,962,000			1,470,962,000		1,429,989,000
Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Cleco Power [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		0	0			0		0
FTR assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000		7,673,000
Total Assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000		7,673,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		0	0			0		0
FTR liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000		275,000
Total Liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000		$ 275,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Concentrations of Credit Risk, non-current		144,200,000	144,200,000			144,200,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Concentrations of Credit Risk, non-current		144,200,000	144,200,000			144,200,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Concentrations of Credit Risk, non-current		24,100,000	24,100,000			24,100,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Concentrations of Credit Risk, non-current		$ 24,100,000	$ 24,100,000			$ 24,100,000
Successor [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
FTRs Forward Price High | $ / MW		6.95	6.95			6.95
FTR Forward Price Low | $ / MW		(2.25)	(2.25)			(2.25)
Successor [Member] | FTRs [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Beginning fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net		$ 3,458,000
Unrealized gains (losses)		1,234,000
Purchases		12,608,000
Settlements		(3,682,000)
Ending fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net	3,458,000	13,618,000	$ 13,618,000	3,458,000		$ 13,618,000
Successor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		180,973,000	180,973,000			180,973,000
FTR assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000
Total Assets		194,962,000	194,962,000			194,962,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		2,853,296,000	2,853,296,000			2,853,296,000
FTR liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000
Total Liabilities		2,853,667,000	2,853,667,000			2,853,667,000
Successor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		0	0			0
FTR assets		0	0			0
Total Assets		0	0			0
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		0	0			0
FTR liabilities		0	0			0
Total Liabilities		0	0			0
Successor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		180,973,000	180,973,000			180,973,000
FTR assets		0	0			0
Total Assets		180,973,000	180,973,000			180,973,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		2,853,296,000	2,853,296,000			2,853,296,000
FTR liabilities		0	0			0
Total Liabilities		2,853,296,000	2,853,296,000			2,853,296,000
Successor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds		0	0			0
FTR assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000
Total Assets		13,989,000	13,989,000			13,989,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt		0	0			0
FTR liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000
Total Liabilities		371,000	371,000			371,000
Predecessor [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
FTRs Forward Price High | $ / MW								4.51
FTR Forward Price Low | $ / MW								(3.63)
Predecessor [Member] | FTRs [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Net Derivative Asset (Liability) Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Roll Forward]
Beginning fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net	1,866,000	$ 3,458,000	$ 1,866,000	7,398,000	1,813,000	$ 7,398,000	9,949,000
Unrealized gains (losses)	(199,000)			(1,031,000)	3,780,000		2,070,000
Purchases	2,024,000			2,070,000	20,087,000		20,151,000
Settlements	(233,000)			(4,979,000)	(3,706,000)		(10,196,000)
Ending fair value of FTR assets (liabilities), net	$ 3,458,000			$ 3,458,000	$ 21,974,000		$ 21,974,000
Predecessor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds								$ 89,584,000
FTR assets								7,673,000
Total Assets								97,257,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt								1,463,989,000
FTR liabilities								275,000
Total Liabilities								1,464,264,000
Predecessor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds								0
FTR assets								0
Total Assets								0
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt								0
FTR liabilities								0
Total Liabilities								0
Predecessor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds								89,584,000
FTR assets								0
Total Assets								89,584,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt								1,463,989,000
FTR liabilities								0
Total Liabilities								1,463,989,000
Predecessor [Member] | Measured On A Recurring Basis [Member] | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Asset Description [Abstract]
Institutional money market funds								0
FTR assets								7,673,000
Total Assets								7,673,000
Liability Description [Abstract]
Long-term debt								0
FTR liabilities								275,000
Total Liabilities								$ 275,000