Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 33,607	$ 38,752
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	73,941	66,854
Expected return on assets	(103,884)	(110,535)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	0	99
Amortization of loss	58,418	68,526
Net other postretirement benefit cost	63,219	63,696
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	1,137	0
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,261	6,189
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,175	13,004
Expected return on assets	(20,176)	(21,851)
Amortization of loss	11,840	13,412
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,100	10,754
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	7,284	8,446
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	15,882	14,940
Expected return on assets	(22,652)	(24,809)
Amortization of loss	11,643	14,450
Net other postretirement benefit cost	12,157	13,027
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,629	1,822
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,068	3,769
Expected return on assets	(5,968)	(6,502)
Amortization of loss	3,104	3,610
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,833	2,699
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	569	673
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,874	1,813
Expected return on assets	(2,696)	(2,993)
Amortization of loss	1,529	1,954
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,276	1,447
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,350	1,589
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,613	3,348
Expected return on assets	(5,862)	(6,523)
Amortization of loss	2,334	2,626
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,435	1,040
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,550	1,776
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,364	3,227
Expected return on assets	(4,678)	(4,991)
Amortization of loss	2,850	3,715
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,086	3,727
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,675	6,782
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	11,975	12,681
Expected return on assets	(9,562)	(10,373)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(8,844)	(9,251)
Amortization of loss	358	3,432
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,398)	3,271
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	591	793
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,807	1,997
Expected return on assets	(3,991)	(4,342)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,238)	(1,278)
Amortization of loss	144	289
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,687)	(2,541)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,160	1,556
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,666	2,789
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,837)	(1,934)
Amortization of loss	(174)	388
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,815	2,799
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	262	321
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	670	683
Expected return on assets	(1,199)	(1,303)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(439)	(456)
Amortization of loss	181	377
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(525)	(378)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	92	129
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	395	417
Expected return on assets	(1,237)	(1,313)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(171)	(186)
Amortization of loss	58	34
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(863)	(919)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	236	330
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	854	939
Expected return on assets	(2,276)	(2,446)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(561)	(579)
Amortization of loss	121	206
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,626)	(1,550)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	243	306
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	476	500
Expected return on assets	(697)	(783)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(363)	(378)
Amortization of loss	89	233
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(252)	(122)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,000	8,900
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits		4,400
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	73	132
Settlement Charge Associated With Out Of Plan Payment Of Lump Sum Benefits		12
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	43	50
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	75	80
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	5	21
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 124	$ 137