Business Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2015		Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	$ 2,462,562,000	$ 2,713,231,000	$ 5,072,415,000		$ 5,633,321,000
Income taxes (benefits)	(248,973,000)	99,781,000	(109,027,000)		250,252,000
Consolidated net income	572,590,000	153,722,000	807,832,000	[1]	456,651,000	[1]
Assets	45,877,042,000		45,877,042,000				$ 44,647,681,000
Utility [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	2,118,478,000	2,273,945,000	4,206,272,000		4,551,455,000
Income taxes (benefits)	(3,785,000)	117,798,000	104,051,000		209,048,000
Consolidated net income	380,317,000	204,035,000	579,968,000		431,786,000
Assets	39,841,100,000		39,841,100,000				38,356,906,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	344,110,000	439,306,000	866,189,000		1,081,896,000
Income taxes (benefits)	(235,055,000)	(3,300,000)	(182,741,000)		66,891,000
Consolidated net income	250,874,000	(3,545,000)	330,430,000		119,887,000
Assets	7,913,442,000		7,913,442,000				8,210,183,000
All Other [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	0	0	0		0
Income taxes (benefits)	(10,133,000)	(14,717,000)	(30,337,000)		(25,687,000)
Consolidated net income	(26,703,000)	(14,870,000)	(38,769,000)		(31,224,000)
Assets	1,211,715,000		1,211,715,000				(461,505,000)
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues	(26,000)	(20,000)	(46,000)		(30,000)
Income taxes (benefits)	0	0	0		0
Consolidated net income	(31,898,000)	$ (31,898,000)	(63,797,000)		$ (63,798,000)
Assets	$ (3,089,215,000)		$ (3,089,215,000)				$ (1,457,903,000)

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2016 and 2015 include $10.6 million and $6.4 million, respectively, of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented within equity.