Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Summary of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Total regulatory assets, net	$ 734,266	$ 739,683
Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	279,476	285,737
Total regulatory assets, net	542,066	543,973
Regulatory assets – deferred taxes, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	238,378	237,449
Mining costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,735	6,372
Interest costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,770	4,860
AROs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,252	2,096
Postretirement costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	22,866	23,362
Postretirement costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	142,873	145,268
Tree trimming costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,874	5,549
Training costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,669	6,708
Surcredits, net | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,028	5,876
AMI deferred revenue requirement | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,636	4,772
Production operations and maintenance expenses | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	12,551	13,999
AFUDC equity gross-up | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	70,185	70,423
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,415	2,442
Acquisition/ transaction costs [Member] | Coughlin transaction costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	991	999
Financing costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,880	8,966
Financing costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,570	8,663
Biomass costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	11	18
MISO integration costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,170	1,404
Corporate franchise tax | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	654	1,308
MATS costs | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,501	4,270
Other | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	591	710
Fuel and purchased power | Cleco Power [Member]
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	24,212	20,787
Fair value of long-term debt
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	153,479	155,776
Debt issuance costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 6,975	$ 7,606