Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition (Disaggregation of Revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 2,512,482	$ 3,104,319	$ 2,668,770	$ 2,723,881	$ 2,623,845	$ 3,243,628	$ 2,618,550	$ 2,588,458	$ 11,009,452	$ 11,074,481	$ 10,845,645
Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										9,384,111	9,278,895	8,866,659
Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										156,436	138,856	129,348
Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,468,905	1,656,730	1,849,638
Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										3,565,522
Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										2,426,477
Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										2,499,227
Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										225,882
Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									299,567
Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									326,910
Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									40,526
Non-Customer [Member] | Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									(79,089)
Competitive Business Sales [Member] | Competitive Businesses [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									1,547,994
Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										8,717,108
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		446,615	568,399	494,605	551,024	495,680	673,226	496,662	474,351	2,060,643	2,139,919	2,086,608
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										0
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										807,098
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										425,523
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										434,387
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										16,537
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									248,861
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									111,875
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									16,362
Entergy Arkansas [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,683,545
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		987,576	1,206,612	1,072,788	1,029,344	1,045,839	1,290,494	1,083,434	880,783	4,296,320	4,300,550	4,177,048
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										4,232,541	4,246,020	4,126,343
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										63,779	54,530	50,705
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,244,413
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										941,321
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,462,462
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										68,587
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									356,603
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									144,978
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									14,177
Entergy Louisiana [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										3,716,783
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		297,946	367,734	353,689	315,743	299,377	349,197	291,212	258,443	1,335,112	1,198,229	1,094,649
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										0
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										578,568
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										461,832
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										175,056
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										43,747
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									25,812
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									39,897
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									10,200
Entergy Mississippi [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,259,203
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		150,487	200,182	178,446	188,275	171,842	199,017	176,222	168,989	717,390	716,070	665,463
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										624,733	631,744	586,820
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										92,657	84,326	78,643
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										261,585
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										217,182
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										33,371
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										72,058
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									29,506
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									4,718
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									6,313
Entergy New Orleans [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										584,196
Entergy Texas [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		376,245	477,231	403,486	348,940	369,569	432,909	378,488	363,927	1,605,902	1,544,893	1,615,619
Entergy Texas [Member] | Natural Gas, US Regulated [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										0
Entergy Texas [Member] | Residential [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										673,858
Entergy Texas [Member] | Commercial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										380,619
Entergy Texas [Member] | Industrial [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										393,951
Entergy Texas [Member] | Governmental [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										24,953
Entergy Texas [Member] | Sales for Resale [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]									97,478
Entergy Texas [Member] | Other Electric [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[2]									31,413
Entergy Texas [Member] | Non-Customer [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]									3,630
Entergy Texas [Member] | Retail [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax										1,473,381
System Energy [Member] | Electricity [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 116,843	$ 78,965	$ 112,456	$ 148,443	$ 157,609	$ 156,106	$ 164,956	$ 154,787	$ 456,707	$ 633,458	$ 548,291

[1] (a)Sales for resale and competitive businesses sales include day-ahead sales of energy in a market administered by an ISO. These sales represent financially binding commitments for the sale of physical energy the next day. These sales are adjusted to actual power generated and delivered in the real time market. Given the short duration of these transactions, Entergy does not consider them to be derivatives subject to fair value adjustments, and includes them as part of customer revenues.

[2] (b)Other electric revenues consist primarily of transmission and ancillary services provided to participants of an ISO-administered market and unbilled revenue.

[3] (c)Non-customer revenues include the settlement of financial hedges, occasional sales of inventory, alternative revenue programs, provisions for revenue subject to refund, and late fees.