Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit And Short-Term Borrowings (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity		$ 3,500.0
Issuance of letters of credit, percentage of total borrowing capacity		50.00%
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage		0.275%
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Commercial Paper program limit		$ 1,500.0
Commercial Paper Amount Outstanding		$ 422.0
Consolidated debt ratio of lessees total capitalization		70.00%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 835.0
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 60.0
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage	0.25%
Debt, weighted average interest rate		2.08%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		2.17%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 12.0
Uncommitted Credit Facility	$ 85.0
System Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consolidated debt ratio of lessees total capitalization		70.00%
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issuance of letters of credit, percentage of total borrowing capacity		50.00%
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Consolidated debt ratio of lessees total capitalization		70.00%
Entergy Texas [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issuance of letters of credit, percentage of total borrowing capacity		50.00%
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Issuance of letters of credit, percentage of total borrowing capacity		50.00%
Consolidated debt ratio		65.00%
Consolidated debt ratio of lessees total capitalization		70.00%
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount		0.10%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 60.4
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount		0.10%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 0.6
System Energy VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount		0.125%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 0.0
Entergy Arkansas VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount		0.125%
Amount Drawn/ Outstanding		$ 11.7
Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, weighted average interest rate		1.98%
Commercial Paper Program [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, weighted average interest rate		0.90%
Three Point Nine Two Percent Series H Dues February Two Thousand Twenty One [Member] \| Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable noncurrent amount		$ 40.0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.92%
Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage		0.275%
Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, commitment fee percentage		0.125%

Commercial Paper program limit

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Commerical Paper Amount Outstanding

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	etr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Consolidated debt ratio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Consolidated debt ratio of lessees total capitalization.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Issuance Of Letters Of Credit Percentage Of Total Borrowing Capacity

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Line of credit facility commitment fee as a percentage of undrawn commitment amount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	etr_
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- Definition

Uncommitted Credit Facility

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of notes payable (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer), excluding current portion.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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