Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 10,961,142	$ 35,000	$ 6,549,923	$ 9,897,182	$ (449,207)	$ 2,700	$ (5,074,456)	$ 2,157,578	$ 35,000	$ 955,162	$ 1,117,964	$ 49,452	$ 1,672,734	$ 1,672,734	$ 0	$ 3,276,169	$ 3,276,169	$ 0	$ 7,457,688	$ 7,453,361	$ 4,327	$ 0	$ 606,917	$ 1,080,546	$ 128,696	$ 951,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							470	0	0	470	0
Consolidated net income	339,145	4,580	0	334,565	0	0	0	50,058	0	0	50,058	0	25,972	25,972	0	93,037	93,037	0	166,626	166,626	0	0	1,771	23,864	23,864	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(190,595)	0	0	(190,595)	0	0	0																	(21,000)	(21,000)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(51,300)	0	0	0	(51,300)	0	0												(407)	0	(407)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	1,636	0	29,871	0	0	0	(28,235)
Other																			(16)	(16)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	13,739							1,411					0			0			0
Consolidated net income	$ 873,333							189,689					139,983			304,521			535,028				22,397	81,693
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 2.85
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	$ 0												0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(22,832)																		50
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								85,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,052,176	35,000	6,520,052	10,041,152	(500,507)	2,700	(5,046,221)	2,207,166	35,000	955,162	1,167,552	49,452	1,698,706	1,698,706	0	3,369,206	3,369,206	0	7,623,891	7,619,971	3,920	0	608,688	1,083,410	131,560	951,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							471	0	0	471	0
Consolidated net income	(1,394)	4,580	0	(5,974)	0	0	0	44,790	0	0	44,790	0	51,416	51,416	0	56,593	56,593	0	143,927	143,927	0	0	4,631	30,330	30,330	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(190,629)	0	0	(190,629)	0	0	0																	(5,000)	(5,000)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Other	28,216	0	28,213	0	0	3	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	21,768	0	0	0	21,768	0	0												588	0	588	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Stock Issued, Issuance Costs	(1,399)	0	(1,399)	0	0	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(18,789)	0	(14,810)	0	0	0	(3,979)
Other																			(12)	(12)	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								85,000	0	85,000	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	10,922,947	35,000	6,561,676	9,844,549	(478,739)	2,703	(5,042,242)	2,336,485	35,000	1,040,162	1,211,871	49,452	1,750,122	1,750,122	0	3,425,799	3,425,799	0	7,768,394	7,763,886	4,508	0	613,319	1,108,740	156,890	951,850
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,580							470					0			0			0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							470	0	0	470	0
Consolidated net income	535,583	4,580	0	531,003	0	0	0	94,841	0	0	94,841	0	62,595	62,595	0	154,891	154,891	0	224,475	224,475	0	0	15,995	27,499	27,499	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	$ (190,907)	0	0	(190,907)	0	0	0									(25,000)	(25,000)	0	(60,000)	(60,000)	0	0		(48,000)	(48,000)	0
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 0.95
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	$ (4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	6,700	0	0	0	6,700	0	0												(131)	0	(131)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(17,781)	0	(16,176)	0	0	0	(1,605)
Other																			(11)	(11)	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,287,524	35,000	6,577,852	10,184,645	(472,039)	2,703	(5,040,637)	2,430,856	35,000	1,040,162	1,306,242	49,452	1,812,717	1,812,717	0	3,555,690	3,555,690	0	7,932,727	7,928,350	4,377	0	629,314	1,088,239	136,389	951,850
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,705,394	68,110	6,766,239	10,240,552	(332,528)	2,720	(5,039,699)	2,483,206	38,750	1,050,125	1,344,879	49,452	1,839,568	1,839,568	0	3,575,855	3,542,745	33,110	8,180,572	8,172,294	8,278	0	638,715	1,091,360	139,510	951,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							518	0	0	518	0
Consolidated net income	279,593	3,193	0	276,400	0	0	0	50,403	0	0	50,403	0	30,355	30,355	0	65,567	66,954	(1,387)	150,860	150,860	0	0	15,126	31,432	31,432	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,058)	0	0	(205,058)	0	0	0												(125,000)	(125,000)	0	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(4,050)	0	0	0	(4,050)	0	0												(613)	0	(613)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(5,527)	0	31,085	0	0	0	(36,612)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	2,794							1,554					(9,117)			(2,640)			812
Consolidated net income	$ 999,486							265,890					154,198			278,024			741,909				61,587	(321,359)
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 3.03
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	$ 9,595												9,595
Other comprehensive income (loss)	19,158																		(809)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,776,826	66,723	6,735,154	10,311,894	(336,578)	2,720	(5,003,087)	2,533,091	38,750	1,050,125	1,394,764	49,452	1,869,923	1,869,923	0	3,641,422	3,609,699	31,723	8,205,806	8,198,141	7,665	0	653,841	1,122,792	170,942	951,850
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							518	0	0	518	0
Consolidated net income	164,011	4,308	0	159,703	0	0	0	97,485	0	0	97,485	0	48,955	48,955	0	63,110	63,639	(529)	316,659	316,401	0	258	19,546	(380,148)	(380,148)	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,408)	0	0	(205,408)	0	0	0									(36,000)	(36,000)	0
Interest Expense, Beneficial Interests Issued by Consolidated Variable Interest Entities	31,636	31,636	0	0	0	0	0												31,636	0	0	31,636
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(190)	(190)	0	0	0	0	0									(190)	0	(190)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,540	0	0	0	12,540	0	0												(491)	0	(491)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(34,141)	0	(15,214)	0	0	0	(18,927)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																			1,000,000	1,000,000	0	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	9,595	9,595	0	0	0	0	0						9,595	0	9,595
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,818,571	107,492	6,750,368	10,266,189	(324,038)	2,720	(4,984,160)	2,630,058	38,750	1,050,125	1,491,731	49,452	1,928,473	1,918,878	9,595	3,668,342	3,637,338	31,004	9,553,597	9,514,529	7,174	31,894	673,387	742,644	(209,206)	951,850
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	(4,707)							518					(9,117)			(724)			554
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							518	0	0	518	0
Consolidated net income	555,882	(4,707)	0	560,589	0	0	0	118,002	0	0	118,002	0	74,889	84,006	(9,117)	149,347	150,071	(724)	274,390	273,836	0	554	26,915	27,357	27,357	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	$ (205,471)	0	0	(205,471)	0	0	0									(50,000)	(50,000)	0	(249,500)	(249,500)	0	0
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	$ (290)	(290)	0	0	0	0	0									(290)	0	(290)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,668	0	0	0	10,668	0	0												295	0	295	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(19,486)	0	(14,745)	0	0	0	(4,741)
Other																			(12)	(12)	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 12,194,266	$ 97,915	$ 6,765,113	$ 10,621,307	$ (313,370)	$ 2,720	$ (4,979,419)	$ 2,747,542	$ 38,750	$ 1,050,125	$ 1,609,215	$ 49,452	$ 2,003,362	$ 2,002,884	$ 478	$ 3,767,399	$ 3,737,409	$ 29,990	$ 9,578,770	$ 9,538,853	$ 7,469	$ 32,448	$ 700,302	$ 770,001	$ (181,849)	$ 951,850