Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Summary of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Total regulatory assets, net	$ 774,987	$ 548,345
Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	295,967	298,806
Total regulatory assets, net	553,567	548,345
PPA true-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities	0	(312)
Regulatory assets – deferred taxes, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	234,128	236,941
Mining costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	7,010	8,921
Interest costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,951	5,221
AROs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,942	2,462
Postretirement costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	23,859	0
Postretirement costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	158,374	150,274
Tree trimming costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,893	6,318
Training costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,747	6,863
Surcredits, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,767	9,661
Amended lignite mining agreement contingency | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	0	3,781
AMI deferred revenue requirement | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,909	5,318
Production operations and maintenance expenses | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,245	12,436
AFUDC equity gross-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	70,464	71,444
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,468	2,548
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Coughlin transaction costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,007	1,030
Financing costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	9,053	0
Financing costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,755	9,032
Biomass costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	26	50
MISO integration costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,637	2,340
Corporate franchise tax | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,962	373
Acadia FRP true-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	0	377
MATS costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,982	0
Other | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	828	357
Fuel and purchased power | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	23,472	12,910
Fair value of long-term debt
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	179,931	0
Debt issuance costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 8,577	$ 0