Disclosures about Segments (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) entity	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 12, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) entity	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 13, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of transmission interconnection facility subsidiaries | entity		2			2
Revenue [Abstract]
Net (loss) income					$ 31,736
Equity investment in investees		$ 18,172			18,172	$ 18,672
Goodwill		1,490,797			1,490,797	1,490,797	$ 1,490,797
Total Segment Assets		6,411,266			6,411,266	6,343,144
Successor
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		287,435	$ 229,927		521,491
Other operations		21,465	14,133		38,345
Electric customer credits		(239)	(558)		(674)
Affiliate revenue		0	0		0
Operating revenue, net		308,661	243,502		559,162
Depreciation and amortization		41,552	34,160		82,402
Merger transaction and commitment costs		0	171,303		2
Interest charges		30,621	26,465		62,339
Interest income		381	197		693
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		16,220	(52,202)		19,327
Net (loss) income		25,444	(81,914)		31,736
Additions to property, plant, and equipment			43,623		128,693
Equity investment in investees		18,172			18,172	18,672
Goodwill						1,490,797
Total Segment Assets		6,411,266			6,411,266	6,343,144
Successor | Operating Segments | Cleco Power
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		289,855	232,158		527,408
Other operations		20,950	13,685		37,315
Electric customer credits		(239)	(558)		(674)
Affiliate revenue		221	194		440
Operating revenue, net		310,787	245,479		564,489
Depreciation and amortization		39,473	31,145		78,230
Merger transaction and commitment costs			151,501		0
Interest charges		17,411	16,759		35,515
Interest income		328	117		594
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		23,063	(39,456)		32,918
Net (loss) income		35,733	(61,898)		53,587
Additions to property, plant, and equipment			43,583		127,297
Equity investment in investees		18,172			18,172	18,672
Goodwill		1,490,797			1,490,797	1,490,797
Total Segment Assets		5,823,640			5,823,640	5,758,245
Successor | Operating Segments | Other
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		(2,420)	(2,231)		(5,917)
Other operations		515	448		1,030
Electric customer credits		0	0		0
Affiliate revenue		13,631	10,763		28,365
Operating revenue, net		11,726	8,980		23,478
Depreciation and amortization		2,079	3,016		4,172
Merger transaction and commitment costs			19,802		2
Interest charges		13,285	9,721		26,966
Interest income		127	95		240
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense		(6,843)	(12,746)		(13,591)
Net (loss) income		(10,289)	(20,016)		(21,851)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment			40		1,396
Equity investment in investees		0			0	0
Goodwill		0			0	0
Total Segment Assets		601,977			601,977	614,959
Successor | Intersegment Elimination
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations		0	0		0
Other operations		0	0		0
Electric customer credits		0	0		0
Affiliate revenue		(13,852)	(10,957)		(28,805)
Operating revenue, net		(13,852)	(10,957)		(28,805)
Depreciation and amortization		0	(1)		0
Merger transaction and commitment costs			0		0
Interest charges		(75)	(15)		(142)
Interest income		(74)	(15)		(141)
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		0			0	0
Goodwill		0			0	0
Total Segment Assets		$ (14,351)			$ (14,351)	$ (30,060)
Predecessor
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	$ 30,997			$ 281,154
Other operations	1,949			19,080
Electric customer credits	(43)			(364)
Affiliate revenue	0			0
Operating revenue, net	32,903			299,870
Depreciation and amortization	5,137			44,076
Merger transaction and commitment costs	33,390			34,912
Interest charges	2,569			22,123
Interest income	41			265
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	(8,669)			3,468
Net (loss) income	(23,328)			(3,960)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				42,392
Predecessor | Operating Segments | Cleco Power
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	30,997			281,154
Other operations	1,879			18,493
Electric customer credits	(43)			(364)
Affiliate revenue	31			263
Operating revenue, net	32,864			299,546
Depreciation and amortization	5,095			43,698
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0			0
Interest charges	2,554			21,840
Interest income	29			208
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	430			12,993
Net (loss) income	669			21,548
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				42,353
Predecessor | Operating Segments | Other
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	0			0
Other operations	70			587
Electric customer credits	0			0
Affiliate revenue	2,000			15,024
Operating revenue, net	2,070			15,611
Depreciation and amortization	42			377
Merger transaction and commitment costs	33,390			34,928
Interest charges	17			295
Interest income	14			69
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	(9,099)			(9,525)
Net (loss) income	(23,997)			(25,508)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				39
Predecessor | Intersegment Elimination
Revenue [Abstract]
Electric operations	0			0
Other operations	0			0
Electric customer credits	0			0
Affiliate revenue	(2,031)			(15,287)
Operating revenue, net	(2,031)			(15,287)
Depreciation and amortization	0			1
Merger transaction and commitment costs	0			(16)
Interest charges	(2)			(12)
Interest income	(2)			(12)
Federal and state income tax (benefit) expense	0			0
Net (loss) income	$ 0			0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment				$ 0