Income Taxes - Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective tax rate	22.90%	38.90%	22.30%	37.80%
CLECO POWER
Effective Income Tax Rate [Line Items]
Effective tax rate	24.20%	39.20%	23.90%	38.10%