Disclosures about Segments (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) entity	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) entity	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 13, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of transmission interconnection facility subsidiaries | entity		2	2
Revenue [Abstract]
Goodwill							$ 1,490,402
Predecessor [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	$ 30,997			$ 281,154	$ 276,661	$ 554,175
Other operations	1,949			19,080	15,803	33,535
Electric customer credits	(43)			(364)	(3,390)	(3,179)
Affiliate revenue	0			0	0	0
Operating revenue, net	32,903			299,870	289,074	584,531
Depreciation and amortization	5,137			44,076	36,468	73,746
Merger transaction and commitment costs	33,390			34,912	(410)	1,730
Interest charges	2,569			22,123	19,910	40,032
Interest income	41			265	90	388
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	(8,669)			3,468	20,359	37,687
Net (loss) income	(23,328)			(3,960)	30,234	57,156
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				42,392		78,180
Equity investment in investees (1)								$ 16,822
Goodwill								0
Total segment assets (1)								4,324,078
Predecessor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	30,997			281,154	276,661	554,175
Other operations	1,879			18,493	15,283	32,495
Electric customer credits	(43)			(364)	(3,390)	(3,179)
Affiliate revenue	31			263	331	665
Operating revenue, net	32,864			299,546	288,885	584,156
Depreciation and amortization	5,095			43,698	36,126	73,109
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0			0	0	0
Interest charges	2,554			21,840	19,401	39,304
Interest income	29			208	48	304
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	430			12,993	19,909	38,268
Net (loss) income	669			21,548	31,813	60,418
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				42,353		78,010
Equity investment in investees (1)								16,822
Total segment assets (1)								4,233,731
Predecessor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	0			0	0	0
Other operations	70			587	520	1,040
Electric customer credits	0			0	0	0
Affiliate revenue	2,000			15,024	14,950	27,754
Operating revenue, net	2,070			15,611	15,470	28,794
Depreciation and amortization	42			377	342	637
Merger transaction and commitment costs	33,390			34,928	(410)	1,730
Interest charges	17			295	411	526
Interest income	14			69	(56)	(119)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	(9,099)			(9,525)	449	(581)
Net (loss) income	(23,997)			(25,508)	(1,579)	(3,262)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				39		170
Equity investment in investees (1)								0
Total segment assets (1)								21,800
Predecessor [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	0			0	0	0
Other operations	0			0	0	0
Electric customer credits	0			0	0	0
Affiliate revenue	(2,031)			(15,287)	(15,281)	(28,419)
Operating revenue, net	(2,031)			(15,287)	(15,281)	(28,419)
Depreciation and amortization	0			1	0	0
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0			(16)	0	0
Interest charges	(2)			(12)	98	202
Interest income	(2)			(12)	98	203
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	0			0	1	0
Net (loss) income	$ 0			0	$ 0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				$ 0		$ 0
Equity investment in investees (1)								0
Total segment assets (1)								$ 68,547
Successor [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		$ 229,927
Other operations		14,133
Electric customer credits		(558)
Affiliate revenue		0
Operating revenue, net		243,502
Depreciation and amortization		34,160
Merger transaction and commitment costs		171,303
Interest charges		26,465
Interest income		197
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		(52,202)
Net (loss) income		(81,914)	$ (81,914)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		43,623
Equity investment in investees (1)		19,272	19,272
Goodwill		1,490,402	1,490,402
Total segment assets (1)		6,453,854	6,453,854
Successor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		232,158
Other operations		13,685
Electric customer credits		(558)
Affiliate revenue		194
Operating revenue, net		245,479
Depreciation and amortization		31,145
Merger transaction and commitment costs		151,501
Interest charges		16,759
Interest income		117
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		(39,456)
Net (loss) income		(61,898)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		43,583
Equity investment in investees (1)		19,272	19,272
Goodwill		0	0
Total segment assets (1)		4,319,458	4,319,458
Successor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		(2,231)
Other operations		448
Electric customer credits		0
Affiliate revenue		10,763
Operating revenue, net		8,980
Depreciation and amortization		3,016
Merger transaction and commitment costs		19,802
Interest charges		9,721
Interest income		95
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		(12,746)
Net (loss) income		(20,016)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		40
Equity investment in investees (1)		0	0
Goodwill		1,490,402	1,490,402
Total segment assets (1)		1,959,403	1,959,403
Successor [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		0
Other operations		0
Electric customer credits		0
Affiliate revenue		(10,957)
Operating revenue, net		(10,957)
Depreciation and amortization		(1)
Merger transaction and commitment costs		0
Interest charges		(15)
Interest income		(15)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		0
Net (loss) income		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		0
Equity investment in investees (1)		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Total segment assets (1)		$ 174,993	$ 174,993