Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 35,109	$ 44,051
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	72,519	65,266
Expected return on assets	(90,366)	(81,748)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	400	567
Amortization of loss	36,274	54,951
Net other postretirement benefit cost	53,936	83,087
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,023	6,371
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,884	13,550
Expected return on assets	(18,305)	(16,717)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		6
Amortization of loss	8,989	12,544
Net other postretirement benefit cost	10,591	15,754
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,881	3,599
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	7,278	6,657
Expected return on assets	(9,488)	(8,734)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		2
Amortization of loss	3,981	5,933
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,652	7,457
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	3,546	4,334
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	9,467	8,644
Expected return on assets	(11,449)	(10,454)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		21
Amortization of loss	6,131	8,727
Net other postretirement benefit cost	7,695	11,272
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,523	1,842
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,318	3,930
Expected return on assets	(5,698)	(5,279)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		2
Amortization of loss	2,354	3,344
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,497	3,839
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	666	832
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,041	1,849
Expected return on assets	(2,505)	(2,270)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		0
Amortization of loss	1,449	2,011
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,651	2,422
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,285	1,637
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,437	4,055
Expected return on assets	(5,931)	(5,566)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		2
Amortization of loss	2,339	3,373
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,130	3,501
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,446	1,836
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,390	3,016
Expected return on assets	(4,155)	(4,299)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		3
Amortization of loss	2,375	2,429
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,056	2,985
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	10,873	18,917
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	17,960	19,766
Expected return on assets	(11,197)	(9,950)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(7,898)	(3,334)
Amortization of loss	2,786	11,304
Net other postretirement benefit cost	12,524	36,703
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,489	2,414
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,065	3,360
Expected return on assets	(4,784)	(4,149)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(610)	(133)
Amortization of loss	317	2,041
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(523)	3,533
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,224	2,001
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,095	2,226
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(559)	(206)
Amortization of loss	303	1,174
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,063	5,195
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,130	2,172
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,066	2,349
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(844)	(62)
Amortization of loss	378	1,287
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,730	5,746
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	475	819
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	914	1,074
Expected return on assets	(1,443)	(1,317)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(229)	(35)
Amortization of loss	37	662
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(246)	1,203
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	217	447
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	701	785
Expected return on assets	(1,119)	(1,014)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(177)	10
Amortization of loss	14	396
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(364)	624
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	595	950
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,413	1,515
Expected return on assets	(2,590)	(2,321)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(325)	(107)
Amortization of loss	200	976
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(707)	1,013
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	515	907
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	653	729
Expected return on assets	(932)	(825)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(206)	(16)
Amortization of loss	111	479
Net other postretirement benefit cost	141	1,274
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	10,000	5,500
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	161	103
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	33	38
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1	3
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	48	47
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	23	23
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 125	$ 149