Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Apr. 12, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Cleco Power [Member]
Operating revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	$ 326,281		$ 325,994		$ 839,593	$ 880,169
Other operations	18,460		19,418		50,638	51,913
Affiliate revenue	213		240		669	904
Gross operating revenue	344,954		345,652		890,900	932,986
Electric customer credits	177		(463)		(745)	(3,642)
Operating revenue, net	345,131		345,189		890,155	929,344
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Fuel used for electric generation	101,908		105,052		264,537	277,187
Power purchased for utility customers	36,058		31,544		87,688	109,758
Other operations	35,886		33,639		94,566	93,770
Maintenance	19,326		19,932		71,818	60,106
Depreciation and amortization	40,353		38,376		115,196	111,485
Taxes other than income taxes	12,180		12,680		36,096	37,159
Merger transaction and commitment costs					151,501	0
Gain on sale of asset					(1,095)	0
Total operating expenses	245,711		241,223		820,307	689,465
Operating (loss) income	99,420		103,966		69,848	239,879
Interest income	264		303		590	607
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	1,308		660		2,780	2,197
Other income	629		223		828	1,521
Other expense	(445)		(544)		(1,082)	(1,606)
Interest charges [Abstract]
Interest charges, including amortization of debt issuance costs, premiums, and discounts, net	19,552		18,497		58,587	58,252
Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction	(375)		(188)		(810)	(640)
Total interest charges	19,177		18,309		57,777	57,612
(Loss) income before income taxes	81,999		86,299		15,187	184,986
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	29,427		27,638		2,965	65,906
Net (loss) income	52,572		58,661		$ 12,222	119,080
Predecessor [Member]
Operating revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		$ 281,154	325,994			880,169
Other operations		19,080	19,937			53,472
Affiliate revenue		0	0			0
Gross operating revenue		300,234	345,931			933,641
Electric customer credits		(364)	(463)			(3,642)
Operating revenue, net		299,870	345,468			929,999
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Fuel used for electric generation		96,378	105,052			277,187
Power purchased for utility customers		27,249	31,544			109,758
Other operations		33,563	33,021			93,018
Maintenance		29,813	20,183			60,700
Depreciation and amortization		44,076	39,120			112,866
Taxes other than income taxes		14,611	13,145			38,734
Merger transaction and commitment costs		34,912	831			2,561
Gain on sale of asset		(1,095)				0
Total operating expenses		279,507	242,896			694,824
Operating (loss) income		20,363	102,572			235,175
Interest income		265	346			734
Allowance for equity funds used during construction		723	660			2,197
Other income		870	162			1,279
Other expense		(590)	(2,723)			(3,494)
Interest charges [Abstract]
Interest charges, including amortization of debt issuance costs, premiums, and discounts, net		22,330	18,781			59,264
Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction		(207)	(188)			(640)
Total interest charges		22,123	18,593			58,624
(Loss) income before income taxes		(492)	82,424			177,267
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		3,468	27,761			65,448
Net (loss) income		$ (3,960)	$ 54,663			$ 111,819
Successor [Member]
Operating revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	323,707			$ 553,634
Other operations	18,976			33,110
Affiliate revenue	0			0
Gross operating revenue	342,683			586,744
Electric customer credits	177			(381)
Operating revenue, net	342,860			586,363
Operating expenses [Abstract]
Fuel used for electric generation	101,908			168,159
Power purchased for utility customers	36,058			60,439
Other operations	35,361			59,633
Maintenance	19,412			42,317
Depreciation and amortization	42,535			76,695
Taxes other than income taxes	12,574			22,953
Merger transaction and commitment costs	1,869			173,172
Gain on sale of asset				0
Total operating expenses	249,717			603,368
Operating (loss) income	93,143			(17,005)
Interest income	318			515
Allowance for equity funds used during construction	1,308			2,057
Other income	658			2,395
Other expense	(248)			(435)
Interest charges [Abstract]
Interest charges, including amortization of debt issuance costs, premiums, and discounts, net	32,233			58,926
Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction	(375)			(603)
Total interest charges	31,858			58,323
(Loss) income before income taxes	63,321			(70,796)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	23,700			(28,502)
Net (loss) income	$ 39,621			$ (42,294)