Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details)		1 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2016 USD ($)	May 31, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 1988 transaction	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) program claim plaintiff reactor MW	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Accidental Outage Coverage Weekly Indemnity Payment Period														364 days
Accidental Outage Coverage Weekly Indemnity Final Payment Period														406 days
Proceeds from insurance														$ 20,968,000	$ 24,399,000	$ 40,670,000
Number of financial protection programs | program														2
Insurance coverage for public liability by American Nuclear Insurers														$ 450,000,000
Maximum retrospective insurance premium obligation per reactor per incident														127,300,000
Maximum retrospective insurance premium obligation per incident														1,273,000,000
Rate of maximum retrospective premium per year per nuclear power reactor														19,000,000
ANI combined with Secondary Financial Protection Coverage														13,000,000,000
Additional damage coverage for a terrorist event														$ 100,000,000,000
Number of nuclear reactor included in the Secondary Financial Protection program | reactor														102
Total premium for reactor under secondary financial protection program														$ 13,000,000,000
Ownership percentage by a non-affiliated company														10.00%
Maximum recovery nuclear insurance policies for property damage caused by Terrorist Act														$ 3,240,000,000
Maximum conventional property insurance coverage on an each and every loss basis														400,000,000
Minimum value of power plants, substations to be covered under conventional property insurance														5,000,000
Purchase of terrorism insurance coverage														300,000,000
Amount of additional insurance coverage per occurrence														20,000,000
Value of properties that do not qualify for low deductible														$ 20,000,000
Percentage of Weekly Indemnity Paid After Deductible Period has Passed														100.00%
Percentage of Weekly Indemnity Paid After Deductible Second Period has Passed														80.00%
Insurance coverage for public liability prior to January 1, 2017														$ 375,000,000
Accidental Outage Coverage Weekly Indemnity Second Payment Period														364 days
Percentage of Weekly Indemnity Paid After Deductible Final Period has Passed														80.00%
Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Capacity Supply Obligations in ISO New England | MW														677
Vermont Yankee [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Insurance coverage for public liability by American Nuclear Insurers														$ 100,000,000
Operational Perils [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Self-insured retention per occurrence														20,000,000
Flooding Or Property Value Greater Than 20 Million [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Deductible after additional coverage purchased														500,000
Earthquake and Flood [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum conventional property insurance coverage on an each and every loss basis														400,000,000
Self-insured retention per occurrence														40,000,000
Named Windstorm and Associated Storm Surge [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum conventional property insurance coverage on an each and every loss basis														125,000,000
Self-insured retention per occurrence														40,000,000
Non-Nuclear and Non-Radioactive Damage [Member] | Fitzpatrick And Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Primary Insurance Layer Conditions Of Coverage														500,000,000
Accidental Outage Coverage Program [Member] | Nuclear Plants [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														327,600,000
Accidental Outage Coverage Program [Member] | Waterford 3 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														327,600,000
Accidental Outage Coverage Program [Member] | Grand Gulf [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														327,600,000
Flood, Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption [Member] | Fitzpatrick And Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Primary Insurance Layer Conditions Of Coverage														500,000,000
Flood, Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption [Member] | Indian Point [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Primary Insurance Layer Conditions Of Coverage														500,000,000
Flood, Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption [Member] | River Bend and Waterford 3 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Primary Insurance Layer Conditions Of Coverage														500,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Deductible after additional coverage purchased														100,000
Maximum [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Deductible after additional coverage purchased														250,000
Utility Plants [Member] | Primary Layer [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														1,500,000,000
Utility Plants [Member] | Blanket Layer [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														100,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant																	$ 718,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | FitzPatrick [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant																	$ 742,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Palisades [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant										$ 859,000,000					859,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														1,600,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Primary Layer [Member] | Big Rock Point [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														500,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Primary Layer [Member] | Indian Point [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														1,500,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Primary Layer [Member] | Fitzpatrick, Pilgrim, and Palisades [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														1,115,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Primary Layer [Member] | Vermont Yankee [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														50,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Excess Layer [Member] | Indian Point [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Property Insurance insured amount per occurrence														100,000,000
Nuclear [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Deductible after additional coverage purchased														2,500,000
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
MPSC authorized deferral of other operation and maintenance expenses											$ 6,000,000
Proceeds from insurance														$ 0	12,932,000	0
Percentage of capacity and energy agreed to sell by system energy from grand gulf														33.00%
Average monthly payments under unit power sales agreement														$ 14,300,000
Purchased Percentage Of Capacity And Energy Based On Agreement														31.30%
Amortization period of cost														27 years
Allocated amortization cost in percentage														43.97%
Entergy Texas [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of asbestos lawsuits | claim														80
Number of claimants in asbestos lawsuits | plaintiff														600
System Energy [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of nuclear power reactors | reactor														1
System Energy [Member] | Grand Gulf [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of sale leaseback transactions | transaction													2
System Energy [Member] | Grand Gulf [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount	$ 49,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs						$ 16,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance						9,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded nuclear fuel expense						19,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense						5,000,000
Plant balance reduction						11,000,000
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of asbestos lawsuits | claim														80
Number of claimants in asbestos lawsuits | plaintiff														600
Percentage of capacity and energy agreed to sell by system energy from grand gulf														17.00%
Average monthly payments under unit power sales agreement														$ 8,100,000
Purchased Percentage Of Capacity And Energy Based On Agreement														24.70%
Amortization period of cost														27 years
Allocated amortization cost in percentage														29.80%
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Flood, Earthquake and Named Windstorm [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum conventional property insurance coverage on an each and every loss basis														$ 50,000,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments made under purchased power agreement														$ 158,700,000	146,000,000	152,800,000
Required energy for the production of Vidalia project in percentage														94.00%
Estimated Payments Under Purchased Power Agreement in Next Twelve Months														$ 129,000,000
Estimated Payments Under Purchased Power Agreement in Year Two and Thereafter														1,810,000,000
Credit rates agreed by subsidiary for each year under settlement related to tax benefits from tax treatment of purchased power agreement														$ 11,000,000
Number of years for which credit rates agreed by subsidiary under settlement related to tax benefits from the tax treatment of purchased power agreement														10 years
Amount of remaining benefits of tax credit by crediting rate payers														$ 20,235,000
Maximum period up to which remaining benefit of tax accounting election shared														15 years
Proceeds from insurance														$ 10,564,000	0	0
Number of nuclear power reactors | reactor														2
Number of asbestos lawsuits | claim														80
Number of claimants in asbestos lawsuits | plaintiff														600
Percentage of capacity and energy agreed to sell by system energy from grand gulf														14.00%
Average monthly payments under unit power sales agreement														$ 6,700,000
Purchased Percentage Of Capacity And Energy Based On Agreement														26.90%
Amortization period of cost														27 years
Allocated amortization cost in percentage														26.23%
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Waterford 3 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount						53,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs			$ 41,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance			2,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded nuclear fuel expense			10,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense			$ 3,000,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | River Bend [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount					$ 5,000,000				$ 42,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs						17,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance						2,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded nuclear fuel expense						23,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense						3,000,000
Plant balance reduction						$ 14,000,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | River Bend [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance		$ 3,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded nuclear fuel expense		2,000,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Estimated cost to restore ANO to service														$ 95,000,000
Deferred Fuel and Purchased Energy Costs Excluded From Revised Energy Cost Rate												$ 65,900,000
Proceeds From Insurance Settlement, Operating and Investing Activities																50,000,000
Proceeds from insurance														$ 10,404,000	11,654,000	$ 36,600,000
Number of nuclear power reactors | reactor														2
Number of asbestos lawsuits | claim														80
Number of claimants in asbestos lawsuits | plaintiff														600
Percentage of capacity and energy agreed to sell by system energy from grand gulf														36.00%
Average monthly payments under unit power sales agreement														$ 16,700,000
Purchased Percentage Of Capacity And Energy Based On Agreement														17.10%
Amortization period of cost														27 years
Incremental NRC Inspection Costs															$ 53,000,000
Expected NRC inspection costs														$ 44,000,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | ANO [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount							$ 31,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs				$ 6,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance				5,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded nuclear fuel expense				19,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded taxes other than income taxes				1,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
NRC inspection costs														28,600,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point and Fitzpatrick [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount										$ 81,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point 3 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs	45,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance	2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense	8,000,000
Plant balance reduction	37,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | FitzPatrick [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs	32,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance	2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense	1,000,000
Plant balance reduction	10,000,000
Carrying Value of Nuclear Plant	0
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Palisades [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount				21,000,000	$ 14,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Indian Point 2 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount				$ 34,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Vermont Yankee [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation Settlement, Amount								$ 19,000,000
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs	15,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance	4,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense	2,000,000
Reduction to operation and maintenance expense	$ 13,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs														45,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Pilgrim [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Expected NRC inspection costs														$ 60,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Palisades [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs		11,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance		3,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense		1,000,000
Plant balance reduction		10,000,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Indian Point 2 [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages awarded for previously capitalized costs		14,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded operation and maintenance		15,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded decommissioning expense		3,000,000
Damages awarded for previously recorded taxes other than income taxes		2,000,000
Reduction of previously recorded deprecation expense		3,000,000
Plant balance reduction		$ 11,000,000