Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 44,051,000	$ 37,691,000	$ 88,102,000	$ 75,382,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,266,000	65,232,000	130,532,000	130,464,000
Expected return on assets	(81,748,000)	(79,356,000)	(163,496,000)	(158,712,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	567,000	683,000	1,134,000	1,366,000
Amortization of loss	54,951,000	41,820,000	109,902,000	83,640,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	83,087,000	66,070,000	166,174,000	132,140,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,371,000	5,542,000	12,742,000	11,084,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,550,000	13,922,000	27,100,000	27,844,000
Expected return on assets	(16,717,000)	(16,441,000)	(33,434,000)	(32,882,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	6,000	50,000	12,000	100,000
Amortization of loss	12,543,000	10,193,000	25,087,000	20,386,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	15,753,000	13,266,000	31,507,000	26,532,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	3,599,000	3,068,000	7,198,000	6,136,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	6,657,000	6,420,000	13,314,000	12,840,000
Expected return on assets	(8,734,000)	(8,593,000)	(17,468,000)	(17,186,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000	5,000	4,000	10,000
Amortization of loss	5,934,000	4,043,000	11,867,000	8,086,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	7,458,000	4,943,000	14,915,000	9,886,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,334,000.000	3,669,000	8,668,000	7,338,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	8,644,000.000	8,800,000	17,288,000	17,600,000
Expected return on assets	(10,454,000.000)	(10,209,000)	(20,908,000)	(20,418,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	21,000.000	52,000	42,000	104,000
Amortization of loss	8,727,000.000	7,050,000	17,454,000	14,100,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	11,272,000.000	9,362,000	22,544,000	18,724,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,842,000.000	1,602,000	3,684,000	3,204,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,930,000.000	4,070,000	7,860,000	8,140,000
Expected return on assets	(5,279,000.000)	(5,236,000)	(10,558,000)	(10,472,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000.000	7,000	4,000	14,000
Amortization of loss	3,344,000.000	2,633,000	6,688,000	5,266,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,839,000.000	3,076,000	7,678,000	6,152,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	832,000.000	706,000	1,664,000	1,412,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,849,000.000	1,902,000	3,698,000	3,804,000
Expected return on assets	(2,270,000.000)	(2,215,000)	(4,540,000)	(4,430,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	0.000	2,000	0	4,000
Amortization of loss	2,011,000.000	1,719,000	4,022,000	3,438,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,422,000.000	2,114,000	4,844,000	4,228,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,637,000.000	1,421,000	3,274,000	2,842,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,055,000.000	4,206,000	8,110,000	8,412,000
Expected return on assets	(5,566,000.000)	(5,581,000)	(11,132,000)	(11,162,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000.000	4,000	4,000	8,000
Amortization of loss	3,373,000.000	2,544,000	6,746,000	5,088,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,501,000.000	2,594,000	7,002,000	5,188,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,836,000.000	1,480,000	3,672,000	2,960,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,016,000.000	3,247,000	6,032,000	6,494,000
Expected return on assets	(4,299,000.000)	(4,109,000)	(8,598,000)	(8,218,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	3,000.000	3,000	6,000	6,000
Amortization of loss	2,429,000.000	2,251,000	4,858,000	4,502,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,985,000.000	2,872,000	5,970,000	5,744,000
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	18,917,000	17,221,000	37,834,000	34,442,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	19,766,000	20,640,000	39,532,000	41,280,000
Expected return on assets	(9,950,000)	(8,626,000)	(19,900,000)	(17,252,000)
Amortization of transition obligation	0	794,000	0	1,588,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(3,334,000)	(4,541,000)	(6,668,000)	(9,082,000)
Amortization of loss	11,304,000	9,113,000	22,608,000	18,226,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	36,703,000	34,601,000	73,406,000	69,202,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,414,000.000	2,272,000.000	4,828,000	4,544,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,360,000.000	3,613,000.000	6,720,000	7,226,000
Expected return on assets	(4,149,000.000)	(3,507,000.000)	(8,298,000)	(7,014,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		205,000.000		410,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(133,000.000)	(133,000.000)	(266,000)	(266,000)
Amortization of loss	2,042,000.000	2,077,000.000	4,083,000	4,154,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,534,000.000	4,527,000.000	7,067,000	9,054,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,001,000.000	1,880,000.000	4,002,000	3,760,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,226,000.000	2,398,000.000	4,452,000	4,796,000
Expected return on assets	0.000	0.000	0	0
Amortization of transition obligation		60,000.000		120,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(206,000.000)	(206,000.000)	(412,000)	(412,000)
Amortization of loss	1,173,000.000	1,184,000.000	2,347,000	2,368,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,194,000.000	5,316,000.000	10,389,000	10,632,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,172,000.000	1,949,000.000	4,344,000	3,898,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,349,000.000	2,445,000.000	4,698,000	4,890,000
Expected return on assets	0.000	0.000	0	0
Amortization of transition obligation		96,000.000		192,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(62,000.000)	(62,000.000)	(124,000)	(124,000)
Amortization of loss	1,286,000.000	1,090,000.000	2,573,000	2,180,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,745,000.000	5,518,000.000	11,491,000	11,036,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	819,000.000	773,000.000	1,638,000	1,546,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,074,000.000	1,179,000.000	2,148,000	2,358,000
Expected return on assets	(1,317,000.000)	(1,130,000.000)	(2,634,000)	(2,260,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		88,000.000		176,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(35,000.000)	(35,000.000)	(70,000)	(70,000)
Amortization of loss	663,000.000	730,000.000	1,325,000	1,460,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,204,000.000	1,605,000.000	2,407,000	3,210,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	447,000.000	422,000.000	894,000	844,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	785,000.000	856,000.000	1,570,000	1,712,000
Expected return on assets	(1,014,000.000)	(928,000.000)	(2,028,000)	(1,856,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		297,000.000		594,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	10,000.000	10,000.000	20,000	20,000
Amortization of loss	397,000.000	390,000.000	793,000	780,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	625,000.000	1,047,000.000	1,249,000	2,094,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	950,000.000	913,000.000	1,900,000	1,826,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,515,000.000	1,663,000.000	3,030,000	3,326,000
Expected return on assets	(2,321,000.000)	(2,104,000.000)	(4,642,000)	(4,208,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		47,000.000		94,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(107,000.000)	(107,000.000)	(214,000)	(214,000)
Amortization of loss	975,000.000	1,079,000.000	1,951,000	2,158,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,012,000.000	1,491,000.000	2,025,000	2,982,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	907,000.000	823,000.000	1,814,000	1,646,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	729,000.000	757,000.000	1,458,000	1,514,000
Expected return on assets	(825,000.000)	(650,000.000)	(1,650,000)	(1,300,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		2,000.000		4,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(16,000.000)	(16,000.000)	(32,000)	(32,000)
Amortization of loss	479,000.000	493,000.000	958,000	986,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,274,000.000	1,409,000.000	2,548,000	2,818,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,500,000	5,100,000	10,900,000	10,200,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	102,000	107,000	205,000	214,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	37,000	39,000	75,000	78,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,000	3,000	6,000	6,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	46,000	46,000	93,000	92,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	22,000	19,000	45,000	38,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$ 148,000	$ 163,000	$ 297,000	$ 326,000