Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Apr. 12, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Apr. 25, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Katrina Rita storm recovery collections, net of administration fees
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash						$ 15,500
Katrina Rita Bond Principal Payments
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	$ (8,300)	$ (8,500)
Katrina Rita Bond Interest Payments
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	(2,100)	$ (2,300)
Successor [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	31,684		$ 31,684		$ 31,684	31,684
Total non-current	22,869		22,869		22,869	22,869
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	54,553		54,553		54,553	54,553
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash					33,943
Successor [Member] | Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	3,569		3,569		3,569	3,569
Successor [Member] | Cleco Power's charitable contributions [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	1,200		1,200		1,200	1,200
Total non-current	4,341		4,341		4,341	4,341
Successor [Member] | Cleco Power's rate credit escrow [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	26,915		26,915		26,915	26,915
Total non-current	1,435		1,435		1,435	1,435
Successor [Member] | Diversified Lands’ mitigation escrow
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total non-current	21		21		21	21
Successor [Member] | Cleco Power’s future storm restoration costs
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total non-current	17,072		17,072		17,072	17,072
Predecessor [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current									$ 9,263
Total non-current									16,195
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents									25,458
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash				$ (4,847)			$ (4,536)
Predecessor [Member] | Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current									9,263
Predecessor [Member] | Cleco Power's charitable contributions [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current									0
Total non-current									0
Predecessor [Member] | Cleco Power's rate credit escrow [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current									0
Total non-current									0
Predecessor [Member] | Diversified Lands’ mitigation escrow
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total non-current									21
Predecessor [Member] | Cleco Power’s future storm restoration costs
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total non-current									16,174
Cleco Power [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	31,684		31,684		31,684	31,684			9,263
Total non-current	22,848		22,848		22,848	22,848			16,174
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	54,532		54,532		54,532	54,532			25,437
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash						29,096	$ (4,536)
Cleco Power [Member] | Cleco Katrina Rita Storm Recovery Bonds
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	3,569		3,569		3,569	3,569			9,263
Cleco Power [Member] | Cleco Power's charitable contributions [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	1,200		1,200		1,200	1,200			0
Total non-current	4,341		4,341		4,341	4,341			0
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents								$ 6,000
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			(500)
Cleco Power [Member] | Cleco Power's rate credit escrow [Member]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total current	26,915		26,915		26,915	26,915			0
Total non-current	1,435		1,435		1,435	1,435			0
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents								$ 136,000
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			(107,700)
Cleco Power [Member] | Cleco Power’s future storm restoration costs
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Total non-current	$ 17,072		$ 17,072		$ 17,072	$ 17,072			$ 16,174