Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Summary of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Total regulatory assets, net	$ 735,184	$ 739,683
Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	278,541	285,737
Total regulatory assets, net	545,782	543,973
Regulatory assets – deferred taxes, net | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	240,319	237,449
Mining costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,098	6,372
Interest costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,680	4,860
AROs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,420	2,096
Postretirement costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	22,368	23,362
Postretirement costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	140,300	145,268
Tree trimming costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,280	5,549
Training costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	6,630	6,708
Surcredits, net | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,161	5,876
AMI deferred revenue requirement | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	4,499	4,772
Late/reconnect fees [Member] | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	3,154	0
Production operations and maintenance expenses | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	11,055	13,999
AFUDC equity gross-up | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	69,958	70,423
Acquisition/ transaction costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	2,389	2,442
Acquisition/ transaction costs | Coughlin transaction costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	984	999
Financing costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,794	8,966
Financing costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	8,478	8,663
Biomass costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	3	18
MISO integration costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	936	1,404
Corporate franchise tax | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,290	1,308
MATS costs | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	5,128	4,270
Other | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	1,098	710
Fuel and purchased power | Cleco Power
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	26,922	20,787
Fair value of long-term debt
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	151,368	155,776
Debt issuance costs
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, Net [Line Items]
Regulatory assets	$ 6,872	$ 7,606