Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 43,762	$ 35,109	$ 131,286	$ 105,327
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	75,694	72,519	227,082	217,557
Expected return on assets	(98,655)	(90,366)	(295,965)	(271,098)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	390	400	1,170	1,200
Amortization of loss	58,981	36,274	176,943	108,822
Defined Benefit Plan, Special Termination Benefits			76	732
Net other postretirement benefit cost	80,172	53,936	240,592	162,540
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,661	5,023	19,983	15,069
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	15,471	14,884	46,413	44,652
Expected return on assets	(20,026)	(18,305)	(60,078)	(54,915)
Amortization of loss	13,564	8,989	40,692	26,967
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,670	10,591	47,010	31,773
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,778	3,546	14,334	10,638
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	9,939	9,467	29,817	28,401
Expected return on assets	(12,541)	(11,449)	(37,623)	(34,347)
Amortization of loss	9,176	6,131	27,528	18,393
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,352	7,695	34,056	23,085
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,982	1,523	5,946	4,569
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,502	4,318	13,506	12,954
Expected return on assets	(6,105)	(5,698)	(18,315)	(17,094)
Amortization of loss	3,724	2,354	11,172	7,062
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,103	2,497	12,309	7,491
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	849	666	2,547	1,998
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,108	2,041	6,324	6,123
Expected return on assets	(2,725)	(2,505)	(8,175)	(7,515)
Amortization of loss	2,013	1,449	6,039	4,347
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,245	1,651	6,735	4,953
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,645	1,285	4,935	3,855
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,354	4,437	13,062	13,311
Expected return on assets	(6,222)	(5,931)	(18,666)	(17,793)
Amortization of loss	3,238	2,339	9,714	7,017
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,015	2,130	9,045	6,390
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,957	1,446	5,871	4,338
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,493	3,390	10,479	10,170
Expected return on assets	(4,568)	(4,155)	(13,704)	(12,465)
Amortization of loss	3,264	2,375	9,792	7,125
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,146	3,056	12,438	9,168
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	11,326	10,873	33,978	32,619
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	17,984	17,960	53,952	53,880
Expected return on assets	(11,344)	(11,197)	(34,032)	(33,591)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(9,320)	(7,898)	(27,960)	(23,694)
Amortization of loss	7,893	2,786	23,679	8,358
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16,539	12,524	49,617	37,572
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,739	1,489	5,217	4,467
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,130	3,065	9,390	9,195
Expected return on assets	(4,798)	(4,784)	(14,394)	(14,352)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(610)	(610)	(1,830)	(1,830)
Amortization of loss	1,339	317	4,017	951
Net other postretirement benefit cost	800	(523)	2,400	(1,569)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,227	1,130	3,681	3,390
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,016	2,066	6,048	6,198
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(845)	(844)	(2,535)	(2,532)
Amortization of loss	803	378	2,409	1,134
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,201	2,730	9,603	8,190
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	507	475	1,521	1,425
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	859	914	2,577	2,742
Expected return on assets	(1,542)	(1,443)	(4,626)	(4,329)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(229)	(229)	(687)	(687)
Amortization of loss	215	37	645	111
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(190)	(246)	(570)	(738)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	205	217	615	651
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	652	701	1,956	2,103
Expected return on assets	(1,201)	(1,119)	(3,603)	(3,357)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(177)	(177)	(531)	(531)
Amortization of loss	118	14	354	42
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(403)	(364)	(1,209)	(1,092)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	500	595	1,500	1,785
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,342	1,413	4,026	4,239
Expected return on assets	(2,588)	(2,590)	(7,764)	(7,770)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(681)	(325)	(2,043)	(975)
Amortization of loss	685	200	2,055	600
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(742)	(707)	(2,226)	(2,121)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	470	515	1,410	1,545
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	628	653	1,884	1,959
Expected return on assets	(911)	(932)	(2,733)	(2,796)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(366)	(206)	(1,098)	(618)
Amortization of loss	300	111	900	333
Net other postretirement benefit cost	121	141	363	423
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,500	6,500	13,400	25,600
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits				12,500
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	113	377	339	657
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits		274		337
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3	1	9	4
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	59	47	177	143
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16	24	48	70
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 149	129	$ 447	373
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits		$ 10		$ 16