Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 33,410	$ 35,811	$ 66,820	$ 71,622
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,206	65,403	130,412	130,806
Expected return on assets	(102,056)	(97,366)	(204,112)	(194,732)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	65	270	130	540
Amortization of loss	56,930	48,824	113,860	97,648
Net other postretirement benefit cost	53,555	52,942	107,110	105,884
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	10,180	10,362
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,944	13,055	25,888	26,110
Expected return on assets	(20,427)	(19,772)	(40,854)	(39,544)
Amortization of loss	11,640	10,936	23,280	21,872
Net other postretirement benefit cost	9,247	9,400	18,494	18,800
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	13,850	14,098
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,809	14,870	29,618	29,740
Expected return on assets	(23,017)	(22,096)	(46,034)	(44,192)
Amortization of loss	12,354	11,946	24,708	23,892
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,071	11,769	22,142	23,538
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	2,944	3,124
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,732	3,811	7,464	7,622
Expected return on assets	(6,131)	(5,981)	(12,262)	(11,962)
Amortization of loss	3,053	2,985	6,106	5,970
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,126	2,377	4,252	4,754
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	625	656	1,250	1,312
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,791	1,814	3,582	3,628
Expected return on assets	(2,800)	(2,687)	(5,600)	(5,374)
Amortization of loss	1,658	1,615	3,316	3,230
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,274	1,398	2,548	2,796
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	2,728	2,832
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,392	3,557	6,784	7,114
Expected return on assets	(6,180)	(6,062)	(12,360)	(12,124)
Amortization of loss	2,310	2,340	4,620	4,680
Net other postretirement benefit cost	886	1,251	1,772	2,502
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	3,072	3,132
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,091	2,992	6,182	5,984
Expected return on assets	(4,663)	(4,459)	(9,326)	(8,918)
Amortization of loss	2,964	2,604	5,928	5,208
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,928	2,703	5,856	5,406
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,729	8,073	13,458	16,146
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,960	14,083	27,920	28,166
Expected return on assets	(9,408)	(10,455)	(18,816)	(20,910)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(10,356)	(11,373)	(20,712)	(22,746)
Amortization of loss	5,476	4,554	10,952	9,108
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,401	4,882	12,802	9,764
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	863	978	1,726	1,956
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,255	2,324	4,510	4,648
Expected return on assets	(3,959)	(4,464)	(7,918)	(8,928)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,368)	(2,556)	(2,736)
Amortization of loss	1,115	1,064	2,230	2,128
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,004)	(1,466)	(2,008)	(2,932)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,593	1,869	3,186	3,738
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,025	3,260	6,050	6,520
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,947)	(3,868)	(3,894)
Amortization of loss	465	732	930	1,464
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,149	3,914	6,298	7,828
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	290	386	580	772
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	690	709	1,380	1,418
Expected return on assets	(1,200)	(1,379)	(2,400)	(2,758)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(234)	(912)	(468)
Amortization of loss	419	223	838	446
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(257)	(295)	(514)	(590)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	142	156	284	312
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	469	448	938	896
Expected return on assets	(1,159)	(1,154)	(2,318)	(2,308)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)	(372)	(372)
Amortization of loss	105	37	210	74
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(629)	(699)	(1,258)	(1,398)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	372	398	744	796
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,124	1,039	2,248	2,078
Expected return on assets	(2,180)	(2,394)	(4,360)	(4,788)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(681)	(1,158)	(1,362)
Amortization of loss	826	537	1,652	1,074
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(437)	(1,101)	(874)	(2,202)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	320	334	640	668
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	559	529	1,118	1,058
Expected return on assets	(717)	(814)	(1,434)	(1,628)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(393)	(756)	(786)
Amortization of loss	390	287	780	574
Net other postretirement benefit cost	174	(57)	348	(114)
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	8,500	4,300	13,100	8,500
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	267	106	372	212
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	47	59	96	118
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	63	59	127	118
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	18	16	36	32
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 126	$ 127	$ 253	$ 254