Business Segment Information (Segment Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	$ 2,822,070		$ 2,412,788		$ 5,666,907	$ 4,839,967
Segment Financial Information
Income taxes (benefits)	(18,416)		89,115		47,526	17,921
Consolidated net income	(1,394)	$ 339,145	365,113	$ 123,294	337,750	488,406
Assets	55,949,283				55,949,283		$ 58,239,212
Utility [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	2,673,385		2,213,061		5,270,000	4,307,690
Segment Financial Information
Income taxes (benefits)	71,360		73,710		131,094	20,761
Consolidated net income	329,936		348,902		690,535	672,751
Assets	56,240,370				56,240,370		55,940,153
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	148,656		199,709		396,874	532,258
Segment Financial Information
Income taxes (benefits)	(71,696)		24,467		(56,135)	(6,073)
Consolidated net income	(274,648)		85,178		(236,525)	(25,251)
Assets	1,209,209				1,209,209		3,800,378
All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	31		18		54	29
Segment Financial Information
Income taxes (benefits)	(18,080)		(9,062)		(27,433)	3,233
Consolidated net income	(24,784)		(37,069)		(52,464)	(95,298)
Assets	496,043				496,043		552,632
Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	(2)		0		(21)	(10)
Segment Financial Information
Income taxes (benefits)	0		0		0	0
Consolidated net income	(31,898)		$ (31,898)		(63,796)	$ (63,796)
Assets	$ (1,996,339)				$ (1,996,339)		$ (2,053,951)