Disclosures about Segments (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) entity	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) entity	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) entity	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 13, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of transmission interconnection facility subsidiaries | entity	2			2	2
Revenue [Abstract]
Goodwill							$ 1,491,519
Predecessor [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		$ 281,154	$ 325,994			$ 880,169
Other operations		19,080	19,937			53,472
Electric customer credits		(364)	(463)			(3,642)
Affiliate revenue		0	0			0
Operating revenue, net		299,870	345,468			929,999
Depreciation and amortization		44,076	39,120			112,866
Merger transaction and commitment costs		34,912	831			2,561
Interest charges		22,123	18,593			58,624
Interest income		265	346			734
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		3,468	27,761			65,448
Net (loss) income		(3,960)	54,663			111,819
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		42,392				116,678
Equity investment in investees (1)								$ 16,822
Goodwill								0
Total segment assets (1)								4,324,078
Predecessor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		281,154	325,994			880,169
Other operations		18,493	19,418			51,913
Electric customer credits		(364)	(463)			(3,642)
Affiliate revenue		263	240			904
Operating revenue, net		299,546	345,189			929,344
Depreciation and amortization		43,698	38,376			111,485
Merger transaction and commitment costs		0	0			0
Interest charges		21,840	18,309			57,612
Interest income		208	303			607
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		12,993	27,638			65,906
Net (loss) income		21,548	58,661			119,080
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		42,353				116,360
Equity investment in investees (1)								16,822
Total segment assets (1)								4,233,731
Predecessor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		0	0			0
Other operations		587	519			1,559
Electric customer credits		0	0			0
Affiliate revenue		15,024	15,036			42,790
Operating revenue, net		15,611	15,555			44,349
Depreciation and amortization		377	744			1,381
Merger transaction and commitment costs		34,928	831			2,561
Interest charges		295	195			720
Interest income		69	(47)			(166)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		(9,525)	123			(458)
Net (loss) income		(25,508)	(3,998)			(7,261)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		39				318
Equity investment in investees (1)								0
Total segment assets (1)								21,800
Predecessor [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		0	0			0
Other operations		0	0			0
Electric customer credits		0	0			0
Affiliate revenue		(15,287)	(15,276)			(43,694)
Operating revenue, net		(15,287)	(15,276)			(43,694)
Depreciation and amortization		1	0			0
Merger transaction and commitment costs		(16)	0			0
Interest charges		(12)	89			292
Interest income		(12)	90			293
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		0	0			0
Net (loss) income		0	$ 0			0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment		$ 0				$ 0
Equity investment in investees (1)								0
Total segment assets (1)								$ 68,547
Successor [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	$ 323,707				$ 553,634
Other operations	18,976				33,110
Electric customer credits	177				(381)
Affiliate revenue	0				0
Operating revenue, net	342,860				586,363
Depreciation and amortization	42,535				76,695
Merger transaction and commitment costs	1,869				173,172
Interest charges	31,858				58,323
Interest income	318				515
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	23,700				(28,502)
Net (loss) income	39,621			$ (42,294)	(42,294)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment					102,677
Equity investment in investees (1)	19,272			19,272	19,272
Goodwill	1,491,519			1,491,519	1,491,519
Total segment assets (1)	6,424,512			6,424,512	6,424,512
Successor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	326,281				558,439
Other operations	18,460				32,145
Electric customer credits	177				(381)
Affiliate revenue	213				406
Operating revenue, net	345,131				590,609
Depreciation and amortization	40,353				71,498
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0				151,501
Interest charges	19,177				35,937
Interest income	264				382
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	29,427				(10,028)
Net (loss) income	52,572				(9,326)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment					102,284
Equity investment in investees (1)	19,272			19,272	19,272
Goodwill	1,491,519			1,491,519	1,491,519
Total segment assets (1)	4,279,856			4,279,856	4,279,856
Successor [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	(2,574)				(4,805)
Other operations	517				965
Electric customer credits	0				0
Affiliate revenue	13,060				23,823
Operating revenue, net	11,003				19,983
Depreciation and amortization	2,182				5,198
Merger transaction and commitment costs	1,869				21,671
Interest charges	12,709				22,430
Interest income	82				177
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	(5,728)				(18,474)
Net (loss) income	(12,952)				(32,968)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment					393
Equity investment in investees (1)	0			0	0
Goodwill	0			0	0
Total segment assets (1)	1,930,739			1,930,739	1,930,739
Successor [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	0				0
Other operations	(1)				0
Electric customer credits	0				0
Affiliate revenue	(13,273)				(24,229)
Operating revenue, net	(13,274)				(24,229)
Depreciation and amortization	0				(1)
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0				0
Interest charges	(28)				(44)
Interest income	(28)				(44)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	1				0
Net (loss) income	1				0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment					0
Equity investment in investees (1)	0			0	0
Goodwill	0			0	0
Total segment assets (1)	$ 213,917			$ 213,917	$ 213,917