Rate And Regulatory Matters Rate and Regulatory Matters (Details of Other Regulatory Liabilities Included in Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2015
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent		21.00%		35.00%
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			$ 1,588,520	$ 1,588,520	$ 1,572,929		$ 107,000
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(2,915,795)	(158,031)	$ (61,241)
Waterford 3 Steam Generator Replacement Cost Refund [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			0	0	68,000
Unrealized Gain on Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		989,300	989,300	735,500
Asset Retirement Obligation Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		36,700	36,700	32,700
Vidalia Purchased Power Agreement [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[2]		151,600	151,600	202,400
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities			30,500
Entergy Arkansas’s Accumulated Accelerated Grand Gulf Amortization [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			44,400	44,400	44,400
Other Regulatory Assets (Liabilities) [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			43,500	43,500	79,800
Removal Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		32,400	32,400	53,900
Entergy Mississippi’s accumulated accelerated Grand Gulf amortization [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			32,100	32,100	39,300
Grand Gulf Sale Leaseback [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			67,900	67,900	67,900
Business Combination Guaranteed Customer Benefits [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			65,800	65,800	83,500
Louisiana Act 55 Financing Obligation [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[2]		124,800	124,800	165,500
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities			25,000
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			363,591	363,591	305,907
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(1,043,507)	(62,994)	11,123
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Unrealized Gain on Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		354,000	354,000	280,800
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Other Regulatory Assets (Liabilities) [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			9,600	9,600	25,100
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			761,059	761,059	880,974
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(605,453)	(62,351)	(96,234)
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Waterford 3 Steam Generator Replacement Cost Refund [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			0	0	68,000
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Unrealized Gain on Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		323,700	323,700	235,400
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Asset Retirement Obligation Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		36,700	36,700	32,700
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Vidalia Purchased Power Agreement [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[2]		151,600	151,600	202,400
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Other Regulatory Assets (Liabilities) [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			26,100	26,100	28,700
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Removal Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		32,400	32,400	53,900
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Business Combination Guaranteed Customer Benefits [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			65,800	65,800	83,500
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Louisiana Act 55 Financing Obligation [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[2]		124,800	124,800	165,500
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Gas Hedging Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			0	0	10,900
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(405,395)	2,986	(9,172)
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(110,147)	3,997	7,359
Entergy Texas [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			6,850	6,850	8,502
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(410,968)	(2,106)	(1,271)
Entergy Texas [Member] | Transition to Competition Costs [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			4,800	4,800	6,200
Entergy Texas [Member] | Other Regulatory Assets (Liabilities) [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			2,100	2,100	2,300
System Energy [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			455,991	455,991	370,862
Increase (Decrease) in Regulatory Liabilities				(331,251)	(33,438)	$ 33,686
System Energy [Member] | Unrealized Gain on Nuclear Decommissioning Trust Funds [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent	[1]		311,600	311,600	219,300
System Energy [Member] | Entergy Arkansas’s Accumulated Accelerated Grand Gulf Amortization [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			44,400	44,400	44,400
System Energy [Member] | Entergy Mississippi’s accumulated accelerated Grand Gulf amortization [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			32,100	32,100	39,300
System Energy [Member] | Grand Gulf Sale Leaseback [Member]
Regulatory Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory Liability, Noncurrent			$ 67,900	$ 67,900	$ 67,900

[1] (a)Offset by related asset.

[2] (b)As a result of the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in December 2017, and the lowering of the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 2018, the Vidalia purchased power agreement regulatory liability was reduced by $30.5 million and the Louisiana Act 55 financing savings obligation regulatory liabilities were reduced by $25.0 million, with corresponding increases to Other regulatory credits on the income statement. The effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are discussed further in Note 3 to the financial statements.