Pension Plan and Employee Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Reconciliation of Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets and Funded Status of Pension Plans

The employee pension plan and other benefits plan obligation, plan assets, and funded status at December 31, 2017, and 2016 are presented in the following table:

	PENSION BENEFITS									OTHER BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR			SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016			FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$	512,785		$	499,724		$	480,062		$	44,136		$	42,707		$	43,070
Service cost	9,039			6,909			2,563			1,446			1,112			431
Interest cost	21,648			15,088			6,242			1,569			1,237			476
Plan participants’ contributions	—			—			—			1,149			758			300
Actuarial loss	46,686			6,242			16,857			437			2,292			—
Expenses paid	(3,020		)	(2,025		)	(801		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid	(19,923		)	(13,153		)	(5,199		)	(5,534		)	(3,970		)	(1,570		)
Benefit obligation at end of period	567,215			512,785			499,724			43,203			44,136			42,707
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period	403,715			398,515			383,532			—			—			—
Actual return on plan assets	63,317			20,378			20,983			—			—			—
Expenses paid	(3,020		)	(2,025		)	(801		)	—			—			—
Benefits paid	(19,923		)	(13,153		)	(5,199		)	—			—			—
Fair value of plan assets at end of period	444,089			403,715			398,515			—			—			—
Unfunded status	$	(123,126	)	$	(109,070	)	$	(101,209	)	$	(43,203	)	$	(44,136	)	$	(42,707	)

Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income

The following table presents the net actuarial gains/losses, transition obligations/assets, and prior service costs included in other comprehensive income for other benefits and in regulatory assets for pension related to current year gains and losses as a result of being included in net periodic benefit costs for the employee pension plan and other benefits plan at December 31, 2017, and 2016:

	PENSION BENEFITS									OTHER BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR			SUCCESSOR					PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016			FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016
Net actuarial loss (gain) occurring during period	$	7,434		$	(10,198	)	$	16,056		$	437		$	2,292	$	—
Net actuarial loss (gain) amortized during period	$	10,008		$	8,138		$	2,798		$	(50	)	$	—	$	181
Prior service (credit) cost amortized during period	$	(71	)	$	(51	)	$	(20	)	$	—		$	—	$	34

Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The following table presents net gains/losses and prior period service costs/credits in accumulated other comprehensive income for other benefits and in regulatory assets for pension that have not been recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs and the amounts expected to be recognized in 2018 for the employee pension plan and other benefits plans for December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:

				PENSION BENEFITS									OTHER BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,									AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2018			2017			2016			2018			2017		2016
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	12,267		$	142,967		$	145,542		$	(98	)	$	2,779	$	2,292
Prior service (credit) cost	$	(71	)	$	(203	)	$	(274	)	$	—		$	—	$	—

Components of Net Periodic Pension and Other Benefit Costs

The components of net periodic pension and other benefits costs for 2017, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:

							PENSION BENEFITS											OTHER BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR						SUCCESSOR					PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016			FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015			FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	9,039		$	6,909		$	2,563		$	10,419		$	1,446		$	1,112	$	431	$	1,635
Interest cost	21,648			15,088			6,242			20,795			1,569			1,237		476		1,607
Expected return on plan assets	(24,064		)	(17,310		)	(6,812		)	(23,382		)	—			—		—		—
Amortizations
Prior period service (credit) cost	(71		)	(51		)	(20		)	(71		)	—			—		34		119
Net loss (gain)	10,008			8,138			2,798			13,828			(50		)	—		181		866
Net periodic benefit cost	$	16,560		$	12,774		$	4,771		$	21,589		$	2,965		$	2,349	$	1,122	$	4,227

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Costs

The assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the periodic costs are as follows:

	PENSION BENEFITS				OTHER BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,				AT DEC. 31,
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
Discount rate	3.73	%	4.27	%	3.47	%	3.81	%
Rate of compensation increase	2.98	%	3.03	%	N/A		N/A

					PENSION BENEFITS								OTHER BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR				PREDECESSOR				SUCCESSOR				PREDECESSOR
	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017		APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017		APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net benefit cost
Discount rate	4.27	%	4.21	%	4.62	%	4.21	%	3.81	%	4.08	%	4.08	%	3.76	%
Expected return on plan assets	6.08	%	6.21	%	6.21	%	6.15	%	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A
Rate of compensation increase	2.98	%	3.03	%	3.03	%	3.08	%	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A

Projected Benefit Payments and Projected Receipts

The projected benefit payments for the employee pension plan and other benefits obligation plan for each year through 2022 and the next five years thereafter are listed in the following table:

(THOUSANDS)	PENSION BENEFITS		OTHER BENEFITS, GROSS
For the year ending Dec. 31,
2018	$	21,655	$	4,131
2019	$	22,795	$	4,077
2020	$	23,948	$	3,979
2021	$	25,041	$	3,894
2022	$	26,189	$	3,801
Next five years	$	147,475	$	16,842

401(k) Plan Expense

Cleco’s 401(k) Plan expense for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was as follows:

	SUCCESSOR				PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017		APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
401(k) Plan expense	$	5,386	$	3,554	$	1,593	$	5,029

Other Postretirement Benefits Plan [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

The current and non-current portions of the other benefits liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2017, and 2016 are as follows:

Cleco
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Current	$	4,061	$	3,854
Non-current	$	39,142	$	40,196

Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates

A one-percentage point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects on other benefits:

	ONE-PERCENTAGE POINT
(THOUSANDS)	INCREASE		DECREASE
Effect on total of service and interest cost components	$	16	$	(18	)
Effect on postretirement benefit obligation	$	199	$	(222	)

Pension Plan [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Accumulated Benefit Obligation

The employee pension plan accumulated benefit obligation at December 31, 2017, and 2016 is presented in the following table:

	PENSION BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	520,612	$	473,197

Fair Value Allocation of Pension Plan Assets

The following tables disclose the pension plan’s fair value of financial assets measured on a recurring basis:

(THOUSANDS)		AT DEC. 31, 2017		QUOTED PRICES IN ACTIVE MARKETS FOR IDENTICAL ASSETS (LEVEL 1)		SIGNIFICANT OTHER OBSERVABLE INPUTS (LEVEL 2)		SIGNIFICANT UNOBSERVABLE INPUTS (LEVEL 3)
Asset Description
Cash equivalents		$	4,825	$	—	$	4,825	$	—
Common stock		17,655		17,655		—		—
Obligations of Government, Government Agencies, and state and local governments		50,852		—		50,852		—
Mutual funds
Domestic		58,617		58,617		—		—
International		36,970		36,970		—		—
Real estate funds		19,195		—		—		19,195
Corporate debt		204,835		—		204,835		—
Total		$	392,949	$	113,242	$	260,512	$	19,195
	Investments measured at net asset value*	48,103
	Interest accrual	3,037
	Total net assets	$	444,089
	*Investments measured at net asset value consist of Common/collective trust.

(THOUSANDS)		AT DEC. 31, 2016		QUOTED PRICES IN ACTIVE MARKETS FOR IDENTICAL ASSETS (LEVEL 1)		SIGNIFICANT OTHER OBSERVABLE INPUTS (LEVEL 2)		SIGNIFICANT UNOBSERVABLE INPUTS (LEVEL 3)
Asset Description
Cash equivalents		$	6,817	$	—	$	6,817	$	—
Common stock		19,311		19,311		—		—
Obligations of Government, Government Agencies, and state and local governments		47,543		—		47,543		—
Mutual funds
Domestic		52,663		52,663		—		—
International		31,191		31,191		—		—
Real estate funds		18,668		—		—		18,668
Corporate debt		185,659		—		185,659		—
Total		$	361,852	$	103,165	$	240,019	$	18,668
	Investments measured at net asset value*	38,886
	Interest accrual	2,977
	Total net assets	$	403,715
	*Investments measured at net asset value consist of Common/collective trust.

The following chart shows the dynamic asset allocation based on the funded ratio at December 31, 2017:

	PERCENT OF TOTAL PLAN ASSETS
			AT DEC. 31, 2017
	MINIMUM		TARGET		MAXIMUM
Return-seeking
Domestic equity			17	%
International equity			19	%
Real estate			4	%
Total return-seeking	35	%	40	%	45	%
Liability hedging*	55	%	60	%	65	%
*Liability hedging is not target by subcategories.

Pension Plan Unobservable Input Reconciliation

The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the pension plan’s real estate funds measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the years ended December 31, 2017, and 2016:

(THOUSANDS)
PREDECESSOR
Balance, Dec. 31, 2015	$	17,890
Realized gains	71
Unrealized gains	89
Purchases	26
Sales	(205		)
Balance, Apr. 12, 2016	$	17,871
SUCCESSOR
Balance, Apr. 13, 2016	$	17,871
Realized gains	151
Unrealized gains	227
Purchases	570
Sales	(151		)
Balance, Dec. 31, 2016	$	18,668
Realized losses	(2,365		)
Unrealized gains	2,674
Purchases	649
Sales	(431		)
Balance, Dec. 31, 2017	$	19,195

SERP Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Reconciliation of Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets and Funded Status of Pension Plans

SERP’s funded status at December 31, 2017, and 2016 is presented in the following table:

							SERP BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of period	$	78,045		$	79,555		$	72,315
Service cost	494			571			702
Interest cost	3,239			2,275			900
Actuarial loss	6,442			1,152			—
Benefits paid	(4,376		)	(2,999		)	(1,186		)
Plan amendments	180			(2,509		)	—
Curtailments	—			—			3,602
Special/contractual termination benefits	315			—			3,222
Benefit obligation at end of period	$	84,339		$	78,045		$	79,555

Accumulated Benefit Obligation

SERP’s accumulated benefit obligation at December 31, 2017, and 2016 is presented in the following table:

	SERP BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	84,339	$	76,194

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

The current and non-current portions of the SERP liability for Cleco and Cleco Power at December 31, 2017, and 2016 are as follows:

Cleco
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Current	$	4,471	$	4,308
Non-current	$	79,868	$	73,738

Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income

The following table presents net actuarial gains/losses and prior service costs included in other comprehensive income or regulatory assets related to current year gains and losses as a result of being amortized as a component of net periodic benefit costs for SERP at December 31, 2017, and 2016:

							SERP BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016
Net actuarial loss (gain) occurring during year	$	6,622		$	(1,345	)	$	—
Net actuarial loss amortized during year	$	2,105		$	1,651		$	574
Prior service (credit) cost amortized during year	$	(190	)	$	(50	)	$	17

Amounts Recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The following table presents net gains/losses and prior period service costs/credit in accumulated other comprehensive income and regulatory assets that have not been recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs and the amounts expected to be recognized in 2018 for SERP for December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:

				SERP BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2018			2017			2016
Net actuarial loss	$	2,358		$	25,336		$	20,999
Prior service (credit)	$	(160	)	$	(1,997	)	$	(2,368	)

Components of Net Periodic Pension and Other Benefit Costs

The components of the net SERP costs for 2017, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:

									SERP BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR						PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017			APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016			JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
Components of periodic benefit costs
Service cost	$	494		$	571		$	702	$	2,705
Interest cost	3,239			2,275			900		3,056
Amortizations
Prior period service (credit) cost	(190		)	(50		)	17		54
Net loss	2,105			1,651			574		2,973
Net periodic benefit cost	5,648			4,447			2,193		8,788
Curtailment charge	—			—			3,602		—
Special/contractual termination benefits	315			—			3,222		—
Total benefit cost	$	5,963		$	4,447		$	9,017	$	8,788

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligation and Net Periodic Costs

The assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation and the periodic costs are as follows:

	SERP BENEFITS
	AT DEC. 31,
	2017		2016
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation
Discount rate	3.70	%	4.22	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.00	%	5.00	%

									SERP BENEFITS
	SUCCESSOR								PREDECESSOR
	MAR. 31, 2017 - DEC. 31, 2017		JAN. 1, 2017 - MAR. 30, 2017		SEPT. 1, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		APR. 13, 2016 - AUG. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net benefit cost
Discount rate	4.08	%	4.22	%	3.47	%	4.15	%	4.60	%	4.20	%
Rate of compensation increase	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%	5.00	%

Projected Benefit Payments and Projected Receipts

The projected benefit payments for SERP for each year through 2022 and the next five years thereafter are shown in the following table:

(THOUSANDS)	2018		2019		2020		2021		2022		NEXT FIVE YEARS
SERP	$	4,553	$	4,585	$	4,665	$	4,672	$	4,645	$	23,830

Other Subsidiaries [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

401(k) Plan Expense

The expense of the 401(k) Plan related to Cleco’s other subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was as follows:

	SUCCESSOR				PREDECESSOR
(THOUSANDS)	FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2017		APR. 13, 2016 - DEC. 31, 2016		JAN. 1, 2016 - APR. 12, 2016		FOR THE YEAR ENDED DEC. 31, 2015
401(k) Plan expense	$	888	$	554	$	319	$	944

Cleco Power [Member] | Other Postretirement Benefits Plan [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

Cleco Power
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Current	$	3,525	$	3,345
Non-current	$	34,033	$	34,892

Cleco Power [Member] | SERP Benefits [Member]

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]

Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet

Cleco Power
	AT DEC. 31,
(THOUSANDS)	2017		2016
Current	$	929	$	885
Non-current	$	16,589	$	15,145