Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	$ 20,400,000
Cleco Power [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	55,269,000	$ 65,705,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	31,684,000	9,263,000
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	61,017,000	43,255,000
Accounts receivable - affiliate	1,929,000	1,908,000
Other accounts receivable	23,640,000	27,553,000
Unbilled revenue	47,075,000	33,995,000
Fuel inventory, at average cost	29,661,000	72,838,000
Material and supplies, at average cost	81,131,000	76,731,000
Energy risk management assets	9,994,000	7,673,000
Accumulated deferred fuel	23,472,000	12,910,000
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies	19,947,000	20,003,000
Prepayments	4,875,000	6,309,000
Regulatory assets	17,939,000	14,117,000
Other current assets	0	337,000
Total current assets	407,633,000	392,597,000
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment	4,718,236,000	4,645,698,000
Accumulated depreciation	(1,593,398,000)	(1,525,298,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,124,838,000	3,120,400,000
Construction work in progress	112,161,000	66,069,000
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	3,236,999,000	3,186,469,000
Equity investment in investee	19,272,000	16,822,000
Prepayments	4,608,000	4,542,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	22,848,000	16,174,000
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net	234,128,000	236,941,000
Regulatory assets	278,028,000	284,689,000
Intangible asset	61,789,000	74,963,000
Other deferred charges	14,551,000	20,534,000
Total assets	4,279,856,000	4,233,731,000
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	20,385,000	19,421,000
Accounts payable	81,293,000	88,235,000
Accounts payable - affiliate	8,063,000	6,598,000
Customer deposits	56,806,000	55,233,000
Provision for rate refund	3,201,000	2,696,000
Provisions for merger commitments	32,996,000	0
Taxes payable	18,652,000	17,045,000
Interest accrued	22,960,000	7,813,000
Energy risk management liabilities	418,000	275,000
Regulatory liabilities - other	0	312,000
Other current liabilities	16,116,000	10,078,000
Total current liabilities	260,890,000	207,706,000
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net	1,049,386,000	1,043,531,000
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits	2,874,000	3,245,000
Postretirement benefit obligations	169,129,000	152,152,000
Restricted storm reserve	17,077,000	16,177,000
Other deferred credits	32,521,000	24,083,000
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits	1,270,987,000	1,239,188,000
Long-term debt, net	1,215,633,000	1,234,433,000
Total capitalization	2,747,979,000	2,786,837,000
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity	1,532,346,000	1,552,404,000
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity	4,279,856,000	4,233,731,000
Successor [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	81,570,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	31,684,000
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)	61,017,000
Accounts receivable - affiliate	3,794,000
Other accounts receivable	24,416,000
Unbilled revenue	47,075,000
Fuel inventory, at average cost	29,661,000
Material and supplies, at average cost	81,131,000
Energy risk management assets	9,994,000
Accumulated deferred fuel	23,472,000
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies	76,861,000
Prepayments	5,658,000
Regulatory assets	39,468,000
Other current assets	696,000
Total current assets	516,497,000
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment	3,402,425,000
Accumulated depreciation	(47,134,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment	3,355,291,000
Construction work in progress	112,547,000
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	3,467,838,000
Equity investment in investee	19,272,000
Goodwill	1,491,519,000
Prepayments	4,608,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	22,869,000
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net	234,128,000
Regulatory assets	477,919,000
Net investment in direct financing lease	13,431,000
Intangible asset	147,516,000
Tax credit fund investment, net	11,499,000
Other deferred charges	17,416,000
Total assets	6,424,512,000
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year	20,385,000
Accounts payable	89,674,000
Accounts payable - affiliate	175,000
Customer deposits	56,806,000
Provision for rate refund	3,201,000
Provisions for merger commitments	32,996,000
Taxes payable	29,413,000
Interest accrued	39,323,000
Energy risk management liabilities	418,000
Regulatory liabilities - other	0
Deferred compensation	11,425,000
Other current liabilities	22,515,000
Total current liabilities	306,331,000
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net	1,026,019,000
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits	2,874,000
Postretirement benefit obligations	238,107,000
Restricted storm reserve	17,077,000
Other deferred credits	32,521,000
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits	1,316,598,000
Long-term debt, net	2,744,041,000
Total liabilities	4,366,970,000
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Member's interest/Common stock	2,102,141,000
(Accumulated deficit)/Retained earnings	(42,294,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,305,000)
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity	2,057,542,000
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity	$ 6,424,512,000
Predecessor [Member]
Current assets [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents		68,246,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		9,263,000
Customer accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts)		43,255,000
Accounts receivable - affiliate		0
Other accounts receivable		27,677,000
Unbilled revenue		33,995,000
Fuel inventory, at average cost		72,838,000
Material and supplies, at average cost		76,731,000
Energy risk management assets		7,673,000
Accumulated deferred fuel		12,910,000
Cash surrender value of company-/trust-owned life insurance policies		73,823,000
Prepayments		7,883,000
Regulatory assets		14,117,000
Other current assets		448,000
Total current assets		448,859,000
Property, plant, and equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant, and equipment		4,661,212,000
Accumulated depreciation		(1,536,158,000)
Net property, plant, and equipment		3,125,054,000
Construction work in progress		66,509,000
Total property, plant, and equipment, net		3,191,563,000
Equity investment in investee		16,822,000
Goodwill		0
Prepayments		4,542,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents		16,195,000
Regulatory assets - deferred taxes, net		236,941,000
Regulatory assets		284,689,000
Net investment in direct financing lease		13,464,000
Intangible asset		74,963,000
Tax credit fund investment, net		13,741,000
Other deferred charges		22,299,000
Total assets		4,324,078,000
Current liabilities [Abstract]
Long-term debt due within one year		19,421,000
Accounts payable		93,822,000
Accounts payable - affiliate		0
Customer deposits		55,233,000
Provision for rate refund		2,696,000
Provisions for merger commitments		0
Taxes payable		2,573,000
Interest accrued		7,814,000
Energy risk management liabilities		275,000
Regulatory liabilities - other		312,000
Deferred compensation		10,156,000
Other current liabilities		14,277,000
Total current liabilities		206,579,000
Long-term liabilities and deferred credits [Abstract]
Accumulated deferred federal and state income taxes, net		925,103,000
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits		3,245,000
Postretirement benefit obligations		205,036,000
Restricted storm reserve		16,177,000
Other deferred credits		24,670,000
Total long-term liabilities and deferred credits		1,174,231,000
Long-term debt, net		1,268,427,000
Total liabilities		2,649,237,000
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 12)
Member's equity/Common shareholders’ equity [Abstract]
Member's interest/Common stock		456,412,000
(Accumulated deficit)/Retained earnings		1,245,014,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(26,585,000)
Total member’s equity/common shareholders’ equity		1,674,841,000
Total liabilities and member’s equity/shareholders’ equity		$ 4,324,078,000