Income Taxes, Valuation Allowance (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
NMTC
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]
Deferred tax asset, NMTC carryforwards	$ 97,500,000	$ 97,500,000
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance	0
Cleco Power [Member]
Valuation Allowance [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance	$ 0

Amount, before allocation of a valuation allowances, of deferred tax assets attributable to deductible tax credit carryforwards including, but not limited to, research, foreign, general business, alternative minimum tax, and other deductible tax credit carryforwards.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32621-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32559-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32632-109319

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwards
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant