Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 44,051,000	$ 37,691,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,266,000	65,232,000
Expected return on assets	(81,748,000)	(79,356,000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	567,000	683,000
Amortization of loss	54,951,000	41,820,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	83,087,000	66,070,000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,371,000	5,542,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,550,000	13,922,000.000
Expected return on assets	(16,717,000)	(16,441,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	6,000	50,000.000
Amortization of loss	12,544,000	10,193,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	15,754,000	13,266,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	3,599,000	3,068,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	6,657,000	6,420,000.000
Expected return on assets	(8,734,000)	(8,593,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000	5,000.000
Amortization of loss	5,933,000	4,043,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	7,457,000	4,943,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,334,000.000	3,669,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	8,644,000.000	8,800,000.000
Expected return on assets	(10,454,000.000)	(10,209,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	21,000.000	52,000.000
Amortization of loss	8,727,000.000	7,050,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	11,272,000.000	9,362,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,842,000.000	1,602,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,930,000.000	4,070,000.000
Expected return on assets	(5,279,000.000)	(5,236,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000.000	7,000.000
Amortization of loss	3,344,000.000	2,633,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,839,000.000	3,076,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	832,000.000	706,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,849,000.000	1,902,000.000
Expected return on assets	(2,270,000.000)	(2,215,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		2,000.000
Amortization of loss	2,011,000.000	1,719,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,422,000.000	2,114,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,637,000.000	1,421,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,055,000.000	4,206,000.000
Expected return on assets	(5,566,000.000)	(5,581,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	2,000.000	4,000.000
Amortization of loss	3,373,000.000	2,544,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,501,000.000	2,594,000.000
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,836,000.000	1,480,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,016,000.000	3,247,000.000
Expected return on assets	(4,299,000.000)	(4,109,000.000)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	3,000.000	3,000.000
Amortization of loss	2,429,000.000	2,251,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2,985,000.000	2,872,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	18,917,000	17,221,000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	19,766,000	20,640,000
Expected return on assets	(9,950,000)	(8,626,000)
Amortization of transition obligation		794,000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(3,334,000)	(4,541,000)
Amortization of loss	11,304,000	9,113,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	36,703,000	34,601,000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,414,000.000	2,272,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,360,000.000	3,613,000.000
Expected return on assets	(4,149,000.000)	(3,507,000.000)
Amortization of transition obligation		205,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(133,000.000)	(133,000.000)
Amortization of loss	2,041,000.000	2,077,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	3,533,000.000	4,527,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,001,000.000	1,880,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,226,000.000	2,398,000.000
Amortization of transition obligation		60,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(206,000.000)	(206,000.000)
Amortization of loss	1,174,000.000	1,184,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,195,000.000	5,316,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,172,000.000	1,949,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,349,000.000	2,445,000.000
Amortization of transition obligation		96,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(62,000.000)	(62,000.000)
Amortization of loss	1,287,000.000	1,090,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,746,000.000	5,518,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	819,000.000	773,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,074,000.000	1,179,000.000
Expected return on assets	(1,317,000.000)	(1,130,000.000)
Amortization of transition obligation		88,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(35,000.000)	(35,000.000)
Amortization of loss	662,000.000	730,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,203,000.000	1,605,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	447,000.000	422,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	785,000.000	856,000.000
Expected return on assets	(1,014,000.000)	(928,000.000)
Amortization of transition obligation		297,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	10,000.000	10,000.000
Amortization of loss	396,000.000	390,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	624,000.000	1,047,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	950,000.000	913,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,515,000.000	1,663,000.000
Expected return on assets	(2,321,000.000)	(2,104,000.000)
Amortization of transition obligation		47,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(107,000.000)	(107,000.000)
Amortization of loss	976,000.000	1,079,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,031,000.000	1,491,000.000
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	907,000.000	823,000.000
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	729,000.000	757,000.000
Expected return on assets	(825,000.000)	(650,000.000)
Amortization of transition obligation		2,000.000
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(16,000.000)	(16,000.000)
Amortization of loss	479,000.000	493,000.000
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	1,274,000.000	1,409,000.000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	5,500,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		107,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		39,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		3,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		46,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		19,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost		$ 163,000