Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 43,762	$ 35,109
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	75,694	72,519
Expected return on assets	(98,655)	(90,366)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	390	400
Amortization of loss	58,981	36,274
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailments	76	0
Net other postretirement benefit cost	80,248	53,936
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,661	5,023
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	15,471	14,884
Expected return on assets	(20,026)	(18,305)
Amortization of loss	13,564	8,989
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,670	10,591
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	3,821	2,881
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	7,428	7,278
Expected return on assets	(10,160)	(9,488)
Amortization of loss	5,775	3,981
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,864	4,652
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	4,778	3,546
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	9,939	9,467
Expected return on assets	(12,541)	(11,449)
Amortization of loss	9,176	6,131
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,352	7,695
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,982	1,523
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,502	4,318
Expected return on assets	(6,105)	(5,698)
Amortization of loss	3,724	2,354
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,103	2,497
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	849	666
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,108	2,041
Expected return on assets	(2,725)	(2,505)
Amortization of loss	2,013	1,449
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,245	1,651
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,645	1,285
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	4,354	4,437
Expected return on assets	(6,222)	(5,931)
Amortization of loss	3,238	2,339
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,015	2,130
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,957	1,446
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,493	3,390
Expected return on assets	(4,568)	(4,155)
Amortization of loss	3,264	2,375
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,146	3,056
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	11,326	10,873
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	17,984	17,960
Expected return on assets	(11,344)	(11,197)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(9,320)	(7,898)
Amortization of loss	7,893	2,786
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16,539	12,524
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,739	1,489
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,130	3,065
Expected return on assets	(4,798)	(4,784)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(610)	(610)
Amortization of loss	1,339	317
Net other postretirement benefit cost	800	(523)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,247	1,224
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,062	2,095
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,022)	(559)
Amortization of loss	977	303
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,264	3,063
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,227	1,130
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,016	2,066
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(845)	(844)
Amortization of loss	803	378
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,201	2,730
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	507	475
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	859	914
Expected return on assets	(1,542)	(1,443)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(229)	(229)
Amortization of loss	215	37
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(190)	(246)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	205	217
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	652	701
Expected return on assets	(1,201)	(1,119)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(177)	(177)
Amortization of loss	118	14
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(403)	(364)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	500	595
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,342	1,413
Expected return on assets	(2,588)	(2,590)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(681)	(325)
Amortization of loss	685	200
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(742)	(707)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	470	515
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	628	653
Expected return on assets	(911)	(932)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(366)	(206)
Amortization of loss	300	111
Net other postretirement benefit cost	121	141
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,500	10,000
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	113	161
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Gulf States Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	65	33
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3	1
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	59	48
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	16	23
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 149	$ 125