Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total		Subsidiaries' Preferred Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member]		Treasury Stock [Member]		Paid In Capital [Member]		Retained Earnings [Member]		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]		Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 10,101,725		$ 94,000		$ 2,548		$ (5,497,526)		$ 5,375,353		$ 10,169,657		$ (42,307)		$ 1,824,237	$ 470	$ 588,471	$ 1,235,296	$ 4,346,987	$ 110,000	$ 4,316,210	$ (79,223)	$ 962,170	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 763,534		$ 228,025	$ 891,831	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 360,385	$ 870,511	$ 789,350	$ 81,161
Consolidated net income (loss)	(156,734)	[1]	19,828	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(176,562)	[1]	0	[1]	74,272	0	0	74,272	446,639	0	446,639	0	92,708	0	0	92,708	$ 44,925	44,925	69,625	0	0	69,625	111,318	0	111,318
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																												(2,203)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															0												87,500	87,500	0
Preferred Stock Redemptions																			(110,000)	(110,000)	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	51,258		0		0		0		0		0		51,258						22,811	0	0	22,811
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(99,807)		0		0		(99,807)		0		0		0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(94,285)		(94,000)		0		0		0		(285)		0		0				(110,286)				0				0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			267,826	0	267,826	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(19,828)	[1]	(19,828)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(5,737)	0	(5,737)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)		(965)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	73,359		0		0		44,954		28,405		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	(598,897)		0		0		0		0		(598,897)		0										(40,000)	0	0	(40,000)		(7,250)					(200,750)	(70,000)	(130,750)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,828)	[1]	(19,828)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(5,737)	0	(5,737)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)		(965)
Distribution to parent																			(226,000)	0	(226,000)	0
Other															22	0	22	0	(5,214)	0	(5,214)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	9,256,791		0		2,548		(5,552,379)		5,403,758		9,393,913		8,951		1,891,658	470	588,493	1,302,695	4,737,312	0	4,793,724	(56,412)	1,012,050	199,326	(690)	813,414		350,032	961,456	49,452	481,994	430,010	781,079	719,350	61,729
Consolidated net income (loss)	(564,503)	[1]	19,115	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(583,618)	[1]	0	[1]	167,212	0	0	167,212	622,047	0	622,047	0	109,184	0	0	109,184	48,849	48,849	107,538	0	0	107,538	96,744	0	96,744
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															200,000	0	200,000	0									47,750	47,750	0
Preferred Stock Redemptions	(2,889)		0		0		0		0		(2,889)		0		(283)	0	(1,750)	(2,033)					0	0	(857)	(857)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(43,922)		0		0		0		0		0		(43,922)						7,970	0	0	7,970
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(115,283)														(85,283)				0				(30,000)				0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(19,115)	[1]	(19,115)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(5,270)	0	0	(5,270)					(2,443)	0	0	(2,443)		(965)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	67,282		0		0		53,795		13,487		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	(611,835)		0		0		0		0		(611,835)		0										(24,000)	0	0	(24,000)		(18,720)					(139,000)	(40,000)	(99,000)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,115)	[1]	(19,115)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(5,270)	0	0	(5,270)					(2,443)	0	0	(2,443)		(965)
Distribution to parent																			(285,500)	0	(285,500)	0
Other																			(20)	0	(20)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	8,081,809		0		2,548		(5,498,584)		5,417,245		8,195,571		(34,971)		2,253,317	470	790,243	1,462,604	5,081,809	0	5,130,251	(48,442)	1,094,791	199,326	167	895,298	426,946	426,946	1,068,994	49,452	481,994	537,548	738,823	679,350	59,473
Consolidated net income (loss)	425,353	[1]	13,741	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	411,612	[1]	0	[1]	139,844	0	0	139,844	316,347	0	316,347	0	110,032	0	0	110,032	44,553	44,553	76,173	0	0	76,173	78,596	0	78,596
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent															0												20,000	20,000	115,000	0	115,000	0
Preferred Stock Redemptions	(596)		0		0		0		0		(596)		0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	11,440		0		0		0		0		0		11,440						2,042	0	0	2,042
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(20,599)														0				0				0				(20,599)
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(13,741)	[1]	(13,741)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(1,428)	0	0	(1,428)					(953)	0	0	(953)		(841)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	117,135		0		0		100,947		16,188		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	(628,885)		0		0		0		0		(628,885)		0		(15,000)	0	0	(15,000)	(91,250)	0	(91,250)	0	(26,000)	0	0	(26,000)		(74,250)					(106,610)	(21,000)	(85,610)
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(13,741)	[1]	(13,741)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(1,428)	0	0	(1,428)					(953)	0	0	(953)		(841)
Other															21	0	21	0	(144)	0	(144)	0						(860)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 7,992,515		$ 0		$ 2,548		$ (5,397,637)		$ 5,433,433		$ 7,977,702		$ (23,531)		$ 2,376,754	$ 470	$ 790,264	$ 1,586,020	$ 5,308,804	$ 0	$ 5,355,204	$ (46,400)	$ 1,177,870	$ 199,326	$ 167	$ 978,377	$ 415,548	$ 415,548	$ 1,260,167	$ 49,452	$ 596,994	$ 613,721	$ 710,809	$ 658,350	$ 52,459

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries include $13.7 million for 2017, $19.1 million for 2016, and $14.9 million for 2015 of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented as equity.