Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity (USD $) In Thousands	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy New Orleans Common Stock [Member]	Entergy New Orleans Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy New Orleans Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy New Orleans	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member]	Subsidiaries' Preferred Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member]		Treasury Stock [Member]		Paid In Capital [Member]		Retained Earnings [Member]		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]		Total
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	$ 470	$ 588,444	$ 814,992	$ 1,403,906	$ 10,000	$ 1,494,593	$ (40,304)	$ 1,464,289	$ 100,000	$ 2,061,833	$ (24,962)	$ 2,136,871	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 534,469	$ 733,105	$ 33,744	$ 36,294	$ 118,116	$ 188,154	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 292,844	$ 824,290	$ 789,350	$ 23,016	$ 812,366	$ 94,000		$ 2,548		$ (5,524,811)		$ 5,367,474		$ 8,689,401		$ (38,212)		$ 8,590,400
Consolidated net income			75,906	75,906	0	97,025	0	97,025		115,401		115,401	0	0	41,143	41,143			17,134	17,134	0	0	38,823	38,823		41,322	41,322	10,031	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	564,246	[1]	0	[1]	574,277	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)					0	0	1,229	1,229			1,101	1,101																0		0		0		0		0		(36,944)		(36,944)
Common stock repurchased, value																												0		0		(159,602)		0		0		0		(159,602)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans																												0		0		30,939		(1,342)		0		0		29,597
Common stock dividends declared			(29,000)	(29,000)	0	(122,250)	0	(122,250)		(31,200)		(31,200)	0	0	(3,300)	(3,300)			(12,600)	(12,600)						(39,300)	(39,300)	0		0		0		0		(296,131)		0		(296,131)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries			(3,437)	(3,437)	0	(412)	0	(412)		(3,475)		(3,475)	0	0	(1,414)	(1,414)			(482)	(482)								(10,031)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(10,031)	[1]
Other					0	(15)	0	(15)				0
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2011	470	588,444	858,461	1,447,375	10,000	1,468,941	(39,075)	1,439,866	100,000	2,142,559	(23,861)	2,218,698	199,326	(690)	570,898	769,534	33,744	36,294	122,168	192,206	49,452	481,994	331,667	863,113	789,350	25,038	814,388	94,000		2,548		(5,653,474)		5,366,132		8,957,516		(75,156)		8,691,566
Beginning Balance at Mar. 31, 2011
Consolidated net income				50,298				50,405				75,103				23,829				8,207				23,097			21,986													320,598
Other comprehensive income (loss)								486				367																												(7,980)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries																																								(5,015)
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2011	470	588,444		1,447,375				1,439,866	100,000			2,218,698				769,534	33,744	36,294		192,206				863,113	789,350		814,388													8,691,566
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	470	588,444	855,210	1,444,124	10,000	1,393,386	(69,610)	1,333,776	100,000	2,504,436	(39,507)	2,564,929	199,326	(690)	637,070	835,706	33,744	36,294	111,127	181,165	49,452	481,994	367,909	899,355	789,350	11,213	800,563	94,000		2,548		(5,680,468)		5,360,682		9,446,960		(168,452)		9,055,270
Consolidated net income			59,629	59,629	0	78,748	0	78,748		164,009	0	164,009	0	0	24,596	24,596			7,226	7,226	0	0	17,948	17,948		61,904	61,904	10,526	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	213,318	[1]	0	[1]	223,844	[1]
Member contribution					0	1,000	0	1,000
Other comprehensive income (loss)					0	0	11,535	11,535		0	1,260	1,260																0		0		0		0		0		92,855		92,855
Common stock issuances related to stock plans																												0		0		60,817		(4,207)		0		0		56,610
Common stock dividends declared			(3,437)	(3,437)	0	(22,600)	0	(22,600)		(600)	0	(600)							(1,700)	(1,700)	0	0	(45,000)	(45,000)		(32,750)	(32,750)	0		0		0		0		(294,057)		0		(294,057)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries					0	(412)	0	(412)		(3,475)	0	(3,475)	0	0	(1,414)	(1,414)			(482)	(482)								(10,526)		0		0		0		0		0		(10,526)
Other					0	(12)	0	(12)
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2012	470	588,444	911,402	1,500,316	10,000	1,450,110	(58,075)	1,402,035	100,000	2,664,370	(38,247)	2,726,123	199,326	(690)	660,252	858,888	33,744	36,294	116,171	186,209	49,452	481,994	340,857	872,303	789,350	40,367	829,717	94,000		2,548		(5,619,651)		5,356,475		9,366,221		(75,597)		9,123,996
Beginning Balance at Mar. 31, 2012
Consolidated net income				45,755				50,389				130,714				15,914				7,186				16,204			35,368													370,583
Other comprehensive income (loss)								10,507				607																												(109,264)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries																																								(5,582)
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2012	$ 470	$ 588,444		$ 1,500,316				$ 1,402,035	$ 100,000			$ 2,726,123				$ 858,888	$ 33,744	$ 36,294		$ 186,209				$ 872,303	$ 789,350		$ 829,717													$ 9,123,996

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2012 and 2011 include $7.2 million and $6.7 million, respectively, of preferred dividends on subsidiaries' preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented as equity.