Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 33,410	$ 35,811
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,206	65,403
Expected return on assets	(102,056)	(97,366)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	65	270
Amortization of loss	56,930	48,824
Net other postretirement benefit cost	53,555	52,942
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,090	5,181
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,944	13,055
Expected return on assets	(20,427)	(19,772)
Amortization of loss	11,640	10,936
Net other postretirement benefit cost	9,247	9,400
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,925	7,049
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,809	14,870
Expected return on assets	(23,017)	(22,096)
Amortization of loss	12,354	11,946
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,071	11,769
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,472	1,562
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,732	3,811
Expected return on assets	(6,131)	(5,981)
Amortization of loss	3,053	2,985
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,126	2,377
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	625	656
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,791	1,814
Expected return on assets	(2,800)	(2,687)
Amortization of loss	1,658	1,615
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,274	1,398
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,364	1,416
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,392	3,557
Expected return on assets	(6,180)	(6,062)
Amortization of loss	2,310	2,340
Net other postretirement benefit cost	886	1,251
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,536	1,566
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,091	2,992
Expected return on assets	(4,663)	(4,459)
Amortization of loss	2,964	2,604
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,928	2,703
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,729	8,073
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,960	14,083
Expected return on assets	(9,408)	(10,455)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(10,356)	(11,373)
Amortization of loss	5,476	4,554
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,401	4,882
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	863	978
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,255	2,324
Expected return on assets	(3,959)	(4,464)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,368)
Amortization of loss	1,115	1,064
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,004)	(1,466)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,593	1,869
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,025	3,260
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,947)
Amortization of loss	465	731
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,149	3,913
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	290	386
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	690	709
Expected return on assets	(1,200)	(1,379)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(234)
Amortization of loss	419	223
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(257)	(295)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	142	156
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	469	448
Expected return on assets	(1,159)	(1,154)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)
Amortization of loss	105	37
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(629)	(699)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	372	398
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,124	1,039
Expected return on assets	(2,180)	(2,394)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(681)
Amortization of loss	826	537
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(437)	(1,101)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	320	334
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	559	529
Expected return on assets	(717)	(814)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(393)
Amortization of loss	390	287
Net other postretirement benefit cost	174	(57)
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,600	4,300
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	105	106
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	48	59
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	64	59
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	18	16
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 127	$ 127