Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 38,752	$ 33,410
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	66,854	65,206
Expected return on assets	(110,535)	(102,056)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	99	65
Amortization of loss	68,526	56,930
Net other postretirement benefit cost	63,696	53,555
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,189	5,090
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,004	12,944
Expected return on assets	(21,851)	(20,427)
Amortization of loss	13,412	11,640
Net other postretirement benefit cost	10,754	9,247
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,446	6,925
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,940	14,809
Expected return on assets	(24,809)	(23,017)
Amortization of loss	14,450	12,354
Net other postretirement benefit cost	13,027	11,071
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,822	1,472
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,769	3,732
Expected return on assets	(6,502)	(6,131)
Amortization of loss	3,610	3,053
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,699	2,126
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	673	625
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,813	1,791
Expected return on assets	(2,993)	(2,800)
Amortization of loss	1,954	1,658
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,447	1,274
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,589	1,364
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,348	3,392
Expected return on assets	(6,523)	(6,180)
Amortization of loss	2,626	2,310
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,040	886
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,776	1,536
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,227	3,091
Expected return on assets	(4,991)	(4,663)
Amortization of loss	3,715	2,964
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,727	2,928
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,782	6,729
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,681	13,960
Expected return on assets	(10,373)	(9,408)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(9,251)	(10,356)
Amortization of loss	3,432	5,476
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,271	6,401
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	793	863
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,997	2,255
Expected return on assets	(4,342)	(3,959)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,278)
Amortization of loss	289	1,115
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,541)	(1,004)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,556	1,593
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,789	3,025
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,934)
Amortization of loss	388	465
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,799	3,149
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	321	290
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	683	690
Expected return on assets	(1,303)	(1,200)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(456)
Amortization of loss	377	419
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(378)	(257)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	129	142
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	417	469
Expected return on assets	(1,313)	(1,159)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)
Amortization of loss	34	105
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(919)	(629)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	330	372
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	939	1,124
Expected return on assets	(2,446)	(2,180)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(579)
Amortization of loss	206	826
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,550)	(437)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	306	320
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	500	559
Expected return on assets	(783)	(717)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(378)
Amortization of loss	233	390
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(122)	174
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	8,900	4,600
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	132	105
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	50	48
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	80	64
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	21	18
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 137	$ 127