Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	$ 20,000
Accounts payable - affiliate		$ 0
Cleco Power [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	7,310	65,705
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	144,150	9,263
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	46,503	43,255
Accounts receivable - affiliate	3,812	1,908
Other accounts receivable	25,245	27,553
Unbilled revenue	46,419	33,995
Fuel inventory, at average cost	38,023	72,838
Material and supplies, at average cost	79,469	76,731
Energy risk management assets	13,989	7,673
Accumulated deferred fuel	19,543	12,910
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies	20,155	20,003
Prepayments	6,707	6,309
Regulatory assets	19,362	14,117
Other current assets	0	337
Total current assets	470,687	392,597
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment	4,694,517	4,645,698
Accumulated depreciation	(1,571,433)	(1,525,298)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,123,084	3,120,400
Construction work in progress	96,725	66,069
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	3,219,809	3,186,469
Equity investment in investee	19,272	16,822
Prepayments	4,656	4,542
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	24,270	16,174
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net	230,523	236,941
Regulatory assets	269,397	284,689
Intangible asset	66,711	74,963
Other deferred charges	14,133	20,534
Total assets	4,319,458	4,233,731
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	20,007	19,421
Accounts payable	92,595	88,235
Accounts payable - affiliate	6,432	6,598
Customer deposits	56,328	55,233
Provision for rate refund	3,618	2,696
Provisions for merger commitments	142,003	0
Taxes payable	5,916	17,045
Interest accrued	8,915	7,813
Energy risk management liabilities	371	275
Regulatory liabilities - other	0	312
Other current liabilities	12,159	10,078
Total current liabilities	348,344	207,706
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net	1,016,256	1,043,531
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits	2,998	3,245
Postretirement benefit obligations	154,985	152,152
Restricted storm reserve	16,775	16,177
Other deferred credits	27,935	24,083
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits	1,218,949	1,239,188
Long-term debt, net	1,224,624	1,234,433
Total capitalization	2,752,165	2,786,837
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity	1,527,541	1,552,404
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity	4,319,458	4,233,731
Successor [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	16,912
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	144,150
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	46,503
Accounts receivable - affiliate	3,786
Other accounts receivable	25,681
Unbilled revenue	46,419
Fuel inventory, at average cost	38,023
Material and supplies, at average cost	79,469
Energy risk management assets	13,989
Accumulated deferred fuel	19,543
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies	76,424
Prepayments	7,798
Regulatory assets	40,929
Other current assets	841
Total current assets	560,467
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment	3,376,333
Accumulated depreciation	(20,990)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,355,343
Construction work in progress	97,194
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	3,452,537
Equity investment in investee	19,272
Goodwill	1,490,402
Prepayments	4,656
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	24,291
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net	230,523
Regulatory assets	471,389
Net investment in direct financing lease	13,442
Intangible asset	157,731
Tax credit fund investment, net	12,072
Other deferred charges	17,072
Total assets	6,453,854
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	20,007
Accounts payable	100,802
Accounts payable - affiliate	146
Customer deposits	56,328
Provision for rate refund	3,618
Provisions for merger commitments	142,003
Taxes payable	16,246
Interest accrued	14,041
Energy risk management liabilities	371
Regulatory liabilities - other	0
Deferred compensation	10,933
Other current liabilities	17,776
Total current liabilities	382,271
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net	1,002,784
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits	2,998
Postretirement benefit obligations	213,638
Restricted storm reserve	16,775
Other deferred credits	27,935
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits	1,264,130
Long-term debt, net	2,759,226
Total liabilities	4,405,627
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Member's interest/Common stock	2,130,141
(Accumulated deficit)/Retained earnings	(81,914)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity	2,048,227
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity	$ 6,453,854
Predecessor [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents		68,246
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		9,263
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)		43,255
Accounts receivable - affiliate		0
Other accounts receivable		27,677
Unbilled revenue		33,995
Fuel inventory, at average cost		72,838
Material and supplies, at average cost		76,731
Energy risk management assets		7,673
Accumulated deferred fuel		12,910
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies		73,823
Prepayments		7,883
Regulatory assets		14,117
Other current assets		448
Total current assets		448,859
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment		4,661,212
Accumulated depreciation		(1,536,158)
Net property, plant, and equipment		3,125,054
Construction work in progress		66,509
Total property, plant, and equipment, net		3,191,563
Equity investment in investee		16,822
Goodwill		0
Prepayments		4,542
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		16,195
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net		236,941
Regulatory assets		284,689
Net investment in direct financing lease		13,464
Intangible asset		74,963
Tax credit fund investment, net		13,741
Other deferred charges		22,299
Total assets		4,324,078
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year		19,421
Accounts payable		93,822
Customer deposits		55,233
Provision for rate refund		2,696
Provisions for merger commitments		0
Taxes payable		2,573
Interest accrued		7,814
Energy risk management liabilities		275
Regulatory liabilities - other		312
Deferred compensation		10,156
Other current liabilities		14,277
Total current liabilities		206,579
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net		925,103
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits		3,245
Postretirement benefit obligations		205,036
Restricted storm reserve		16,177
Other deferred credits		24,670
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits		1,174,231
Long-term debt, net		1,268,427
Total liabilities		2,649,237
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Member's interest/Common stock		456,412
(Accumulated deficit)/Retained earnings		1,245,014
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(26,585)
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity		1,674,841
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity		$ 4,324,078