Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 38,531	$ 40,366	$ 126,722	$ 121,124
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	49,222	59,930	142,702	181,528
Expected return on assets	(106,684)	(103,534)	(318,437)	(310,664)
Amortization of loss	69,386	87,516	266,576	262,034
Net other postretirement benefit cost	95,173	116,707	373,829	286,451
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	44,718	32,429	156,266	32,429
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,966	6,580	21,640	19,712
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	9,396	11,054	26,488	33,920
Expected return on assets	(19,585)	(19,531)	(58,896)	(58,775)
Amortization of loss	16,100	17,092	53,652	50,886
Net other postretirement benefit cost	20,115	34,903	74,508	65,451
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	7,238	19,708	31,624	19,708
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	9,230	8,788	29,033	26,376
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	10,270	12,614	29,695	38,296
Expected return on assets	(22,466)	(22,415)	(67,521)	(67,219)
Amortization of loss	15,201	16,663	52,294	49,917
Net other postretirement benefit cost	25,444	22,177	91,702	53,897
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	13,209	6,527	48,201	6,527
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,197	2,015	6,865	6,061
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,735	3,234	7,769	9,914
Expected return on assets	(5,629)	(5,783)	(16,815)	(17,297)
Amortization of loss	4,580	4,747	15,556	14,243
Net other postretirement benefit cost	7,568	6,512	24,822	15,220
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	3,685	2,299	11,447	2,299
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	735	663	2,304	1,989
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,156	1,457	3,264	4,369
Expected return on assets	(2,678)	(2,627)	(7,941)	(7,881)
Amortization of loss	1,656	2,005	5,996	6,015
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,976	1,498	8,314	4,492
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	1,107	0	4,691	0
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,680	1,529	5,237	4,621
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,213	2,686	6,215	8,250
Expected return on assets	(5,341)	(5,483)	(15,851)	(16,455)
Amortization of loss	2,815	3,295	9,941	9,825
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,001	5,922	13,803	10,136
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	1,634	3,895	8,261	3,895
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,141	1,970	6,707	5,900
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,379	2,753	6,757	8,381
Expected return on assets	(4,853)	(4,687)	(14,436)	(14,013)
Amortization of loss	4,135	4,277	14,393	12,835
Net other postretirement benefit cost	7,888	4,313	22,146	13,103
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	4,086	0	8,725	0
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,645	6,231	19,935	18,263
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	5,320	6,888	15,960	21,708
Expected return on assets	(10,805)	(10,182)	(32,415)	(30,692)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(8,267)	(8,985)	(24,801)	(23,892)
Amortization of loss	713	1,005	2,139	2,478
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(6,394)	(5,043)	(19,182)	(12,135)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,034	933	3,102	1,761
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	932	1,164	2,796	2,381
Expected return on assets	(4,505)	(4,260)	(13,515)	(8,586)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(280)	(396)	(840)	(1,057)
Amortization of loss	49	162	147	217
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,770)	(2,397)	(8,310)	(5,284)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,544	1,524	4,632	2,947
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,130	1,497	3,390	3,220
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,230)	(1,695)	(3,690)	(2,784)
Amortization of loss	(91)	(81)	(273)	(280)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,353	1,245	4,059	3,103
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	362	372	1,086	723
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	278	372	834	794
Expected return on assets	(1,384)	(1,287)	(4,152)	(2,594)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(444)	(444)	(1,332)	(765)
Amortization of loss	19	48	57	77
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,169)	(939)	(3,507)	(1,765)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	109	114	327	219
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	130	186	390	413
Expected return on assets	(1,438)	(1,344)	(4,314)	(2,699)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(229)	(228)	(687)	(304)
Amortization of loss	(178)	9	(534)	(29)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,606)	(1,263)	(4,818)	(2,400)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	346	306	1,038	609
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	317	477	951	1,059
Expected return on assets	(2,548)	(2,403)	(7,644)	(4,838)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(936)	(939)	(2,808)	(1,489)
Amortization of loss	100	231	300	443
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,721)	(2,328)	(8,163)	(4,216)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	335	321	1,005	615
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	220	276	660	583
Expected return on assets	(789)	(735)	(2,367)	(1,483)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(109)	(282)	(327)	(501)
Amortization of loss	15	33	45	53
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(328)	(387)	(984)	(733)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,900	4,500	16,000	13,600
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	(2,500)		(2,500)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	86	83	266	249
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	192	37	280	111
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	(155)		(155)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	91	90	283	270
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	7	7	23	21
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	115	$ 118	345	$ 354
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	$ (3)		$ (3)