Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total		Subsidiaries' Preferred Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member]		Treasury Stock [Member]		Paid In Capital [Member]		Retained Earnings [Member]		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]		Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Preferred Membership Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Capital Stock Expense and Other [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 9,291,089		$ 94,000		$ 2,548		$ (5,574,819)		$ 5,357,852		$ 9,704,591		$ (293,083)		$ 1,579,616	$ 470	$ 588,444	$ 990,702	$ 4,453,500	$ 110,000	$ 4,454,861	$ (111,361)	$ 879,646	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 681,010	$ 195,565	$ 33,744	$ 36,294	$ 125,527	$ 854,146	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 322,700	$ 832,729	$ 789,350	$ 43,379
Consolidated net income (loss)	730,572	[1]	18,670	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	711,902	[1]	0	[1]	161,948	0	0	161,948	414,126	0	414,126	0	82,159	0	0	82,159	12,608	0	0	12,608	57,881	0	0	57,881	113,664	0	113,664
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																											(925)	0	0	(925)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																											0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	263,759		0		0		0		0		0		263,759						73,524	0	0	73,524
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	18,670	[1]	18,670	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	6,873	0	0	6,873	7,775	0	7,775	0	2,828	0	0	2,828	965	0	0	965
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	51,156		0		0		40,877		10,279		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	591,440		0		0		0		0		591,440		0		15,000	0	0	15,000	119,900	0	119,900	0	7,400	0	0	7,400					25,000	0	0	25,000	70,286	0	70,286
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(18,670)	[1]	(18,670)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(7,775)	0	(7,775)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(376,855)	0	(376,855)	0
Other															27	0	27	0	9	0	9	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	9,726,466		94,000		2,548		(5,533,942)		5,368,131		9,825,053		(29,324)		1,719,718	470	588,471	1,130,777	4,436,629	110,000	4,364,466	(37,837)	951,577	199,326	(690)	752,941	206,283	33,744	36,294	136,245	887,027	49,452	481,994	355,581	876,107	789,350	86,757
Consolidated net income (loss)	960,257	[1]	19,536	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	940,721	[1]	0	[1]	121,392	0	0	121,392	446,022	0	446,022	0	74,821	0	0	74,821	31,030	0	0	31,030	74,804	0	0	74,804	96,334	0	96,334
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																											(2,323)	0	0	(2,323)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																											0
Member contribution																			1,052	0	1,052	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12,983)		0		0		0		0		0		(12,983)						(41,386)	0	0	(41,386)
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(183,271)		0		0		183,271		0		0		0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	19,536	[1]	19,536	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	6,873	0	0	6,873	7,796	0	7,796	0	2,828	0	0	2,828	965	0	0	965
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	226,909		0		0		219,687		7,222		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	596,117		0		0		0		0		596,117		0		10,000	0	0	10,000	166,901	0	166,901	0	61,400	0	0	61,400	6,000	0	0	6,000	70,000	0	0	70,000	101,930	0	101,930
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,536)	[1]	(19,536)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(7,796)	0	(7,796)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(320,601)	0	(320,601)	0
Other																			(32)	0	(32)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	10,101,725		94,000		2,548		(5,497,526)		5,375,353		10,169,657		(42,307)		1,824,237	470	588,471	1,235,296	4,346,987	110,000	4,316,210	(79,223)	962,170	199,326	(690)	763,534	228,025	33,744	36,294	157,987	891,831	49,452	481,994	360,385	870,511	789,350	81,161
Consolidated net income (loss)	(156,734)	[1]	19,828	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(176,562)	[1]	0	[1]	74,272	0	0	74,272	446,639	0	446,639	0	92,708	0	0	92,708	44,925	0	0	44,925	69,625	0	0	69,625	111,318	0	111,318
Net income attributable to Entergy Louisiana																											(2,203)	0	0	(2,203)
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																											87,500	0	87,500	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	51,258		0		0		0		0		0		51,258						22,811	0	0	22,811
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(99,807)		0		0		99,807		0		0		0
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(94,285)		94,000		0		0		0		285		0						110,000	110,000	0	0
Noncash Capital Contribution from Parent																			267,826	0	267,826	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	19,828	[1]	19,828	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	6,873	0	0	6,873	5,737	0	5,737	0	2,828	0	0	2,828	965	0	0	965
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	73,359		0		0		44,954		28,405		0		0
Common stock dividends declared	598,897		0		0		0		0		598,897		0										40,000	0	0	40,000	7,250	0	0	7,250					200,750	(70,000)	130,750
Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries	(19,828)	[1]	(19,828)	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	(6,873)	0	0	(6,873)	(5,737)	0	(5,737)	0	(2,828)	0	0	(2,828)	(965)	0	0	(965)
Distribution to parent																			(226,000)	0	(226,000)	0
Other															22	0	22	0	(5,214)	0	(5,214)	0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 9,256,791		$ 0		$ 2,548		$ (5,552,379)		$ 5,403,758		$ 9,393,913		$ 8,951		$ 1,891,658	$ 470	$ 588,493	$ 1,302,695	$ 4,737,312	$ 0	$ 4,793,724	$ (56,412)	$ 1,012,050	$ 199,326	$ (690)	$ 813,414	$ 350,032	$ 33,744	$ 123,794	$ 192,494	$ 961,456	$ 49,452	$ 481,994	$ 430,010	$ 781,079	$ 719,350	$ 61,729

[1] (a) Consolidated net income and preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries for 2015, 2014, and 2013 include $14.9 million, $12.9 million, and $12 million, respectively, of preferred dividends on subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund that is not presented as equity.