Business Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	$ 2,738,208,000	$ 2,518,600,000	$ 5,347,082,000	$ 4,902,260,000
Income taxes (benefits)	73,113,000	(122,201,000)	189,648,000	(122,363,000)
Consolidated net income	168,055,000	370,583,000	335,038,000	223,844,000
Utility [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	2,212,336,000	1,959,576,000	4,215,777,000	3,791,216,000
Income taxes (benefits)	98,926,000	(124,461,000)	170,001,000	(24,754,000)
Consolidated net income	200,555,000	308,525,000	328,391,000	375,738,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	533,523,000	567,674,000	1,147,256,000	1,127,925,000
Income taxes (benefits)	(14,567,000)	46,892,000	42,368,000	(45,249,000)
Consolidated net income	11,531,000	70,759,000	93,646,000	(105,192,000)
All Other [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	987,000	1,008,000	1,987,000	1,967,000
Income taxes (benefits)	(11,246,000)	(44,632,000)	(22,721,000)	(52,360,000)
Consolidated net income	(17,636,000)	17,694,000	(34,208,000)	6,727,000
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	(8,638,000)	(9,658,000)	(17,938,000)	(18,848,000)
Consolidated net income	$ (26,395,000)	$ (26,395,000)	$ (52,791,000)	$ (53,429,000)