Business Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Plant		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009		Dec. 31, 2008
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues									$ 11,229,073,000		$ 11,487,577,000		$ 10,745,650,000
Deprec., amort. & decomm.									1,292,797,000		1,281,630,000		1,281,838,000
Interest and investment income									129,134,000		185,455,000		236,628,000
Interest expense									513,627,000		575,167,000		570,444,000
Income taxes (benefits)									286,263,000		617,239,000		632,740,000
Consolidated net income	160,027,000	633,069,000	320,598,000	253,678,000	233,307,000	497,901,000	320,283,000	218,814,000	1,367,372,000	[1]	1,270,305,000	[1]	1,251,050,000	[1]
Total assets	40,701,699,000				38,685,276,000				40,701,699,000		38,685,276,000		37,561,953,000
Investment in affiliates - at equity	44,876,000				40,697,000				44,876,000		40,697,000		39,580,000		66,247,000
Cash paid for long-lived asset additions									3,399,657,000		2,453,997,000		2,528,719,000
Business Segment Information (Textual) [Abstract]
Number of nuclear power plants									6
Capital costs write-off											64,000,000
Debt financing costs write-off											39,000,000
Spin-off credit facility					1,200,000,000						1,200,000,000
Other costs incurred in connection with unwinding planned non-utility nuclear spin-off transaction											16,000,000
Long-lived assets located outside US	0				0				0		0
Utility [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues									8,841,827,000		8,941,332,000		8,055,353,000
Deprec., amort. & decomm.									1,027,597,000		1,006,385,000		1,025,922,000
Interest and investment income									158,737,000		182,493,000		180,505,000
Interest expense									455,739,000		493,241,000		462,206,000
Income taxes (benefits)									27,311,000		454,227,000		388,682,000
Consolidated net income									1,123,866,000		829,719,000		708,905,000
Total assets	32,734,549,000				31,080,240,000				32,734,549,000		31,080,240,000		29,892,088,000
Investment in affiliates - at equity	199,000				199,000				199,000		199,000		200,000
Cash paid for long-lived asset additions									2,351,913,000		1,766,609,000		1,872,997,000
Entergy Wholesale Commodities [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues									2,413,773,000		2,566,156,000		2,711,078,000
Deprec., amort. & decomm.									260,638,000		270,658,000		251,147,000
Interest and investment income									136,492,000		171,158,000		196,492,000
Interest expense									20,634,000		71,817,000		78,278,000
Income taxes (benefits)									225,456,000		268,649,000		322,255,000
Consolidated net income									491,841,000		489,422,000		641,094,000
Total assets	10,533,080,000				10,102,817,000				10,533,080,000		10,102,817,000		11,134,791,000
Investment in affiliates - at equity	44,677,000				59,456,000				44,677,000		59,456,000
Cash paid for long-lived asset additions									1,048,146,000		687,313,000		661,596,000
All Other [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues									4,157,000		7,442,000		5,682,000
Deprec., amort. & decomm.									4,562,000		4,587,000		4,769,000
Interest and investment income									28,830,000		44,757,000		(10,470,000)
Interest expense									121,599,000		129,505,000		86,420,000
Income taxes (benefits)									33,496,000		(105,637,000)		(78,197,000)
Consolidated net income									(137,755,000)		44,721,000		(25,511,000)
Total assets	(507,860,000)				(714,968,000)				(507,860,000)		(714,968,000)		(646,756,000)
Investment in affiliates - at equity					(18,958,000)						(18,958,000)		39,380,000
Cash paid for long-lived asset additions									(402,000)		75,000		(5,874,000)
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Financial Information
Operating revenues									(30,684,000)		(27,353,000)		(26,463,000)
Interest and investment income									(194,925,000)		(212,953,000)		(129,899,000)
Interest expense									(84,345,000)		(119,396,000)		(56,460,000)
Consolidated net income									(110,580,000)		(93,557,000)		(73,438,000)
Total assets	$ (2,058,070,000)				$ (1,782,813,000)				$ (2,058,070,000)		$ (1,782,813,000)		$ (2,818,170,000)

[1] Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2011, 2010 and 2009 include $13.3 million of preferred dividends on subsidiaries' preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented as equity.