Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Additional Disclosures (Details) - Cleco Power [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Oct. 31, 2016	Feb. 01, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Anticipated removal costs	$ 20,800
Anticipated removal costs to be expensed	4,000
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	295,967	$ 295,967	$ 295,967				$ 298,806
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Fuel Costs			10,512	$ (1,010)
Tree trimming costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Anticipated amount of removal costs to be deferred and recovered	5,900
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	4,893	4,893	4,893				6,318
Amended lignite mining agreement contingency
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	0	0	0				3,781
Corporate franchise tax
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	1,962	1,962	1,962				373
MATS costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	4,982	4,982	4,982				0
Other
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	828	828	828				357
Fuel and purchased power
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount	$ 23,472	$ 23,472	$ 23,472				$ 12,910
Percentage of total fuel cost regulated		74.00%	75.00%
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Fuel Costs			$ 10,600
Deferred Fuel Costs, change in fuel costs and timing of collections [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Fuel Costs			13,600
Deferred Fuel Costs, change in mark-to-market value on FTRs [Member]
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Fuel Costs			$ (3,000)
Approved MATS Recovery [Member] | MATS costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Represents the approved regulatory recovery amount						$ 7,100
Regulatory Asset, Amortization Period		3 years
Fuel and Purchased Power Audit [Member] | Other
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Regulatory Asset, Amortization Period		3 years
Subsequent Event [Member] | Approved Removal Costs Deferral [Member] | Tree trimming costs
Regulatory Assets [Line Items]
Maximum amount of costs approved to expend and defer					$ 10,900