Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 33,410	$ 35,811	$ 100,230	$ 107,433
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	65,206	65,403	195,618	196,209
Expected return on assets	(102,056)	(97,366)	(306,168)	(292,098)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	65	270	195	810
Amortization of loss	56,930	48,824	170,790	146,472
Net other postretirement benefit cost	53,555	52,942	160,665	158,826
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,090	5,181	15,270	15,543
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,944	13,055	38,832	39,165
Expected return on assets	(20,427)	(19,772)	(61,281)	(59,316)
Amortization of loss	11,640	10,936	34,920	32,808
Net other postretirement benefit cost	9,247	9,400	27,741	28,200
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,925	7,049	20,775	21,147
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	14,809	14,870	44,427	44,610
Expected return on assets	(23,017)	(22,096)	(69,051)	(66,288)
Amortization of loss	12,354	11,946	37,062	35,838
Net other postretirement benefit cost	11,071	11,769	33,213	35,307
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,472	1,562	4,416	4,686
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,732	3,811	11,196	11,433
Expected return on assets	(6,131)	(5,981)	(18,393)	(17,943)
Amortization of loss	3,053	2,985	9,159	8,955
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,126	2,377	6,378	7,131
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	625	656	1,875	1,968
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,791	1,814	5,373	5,442
Expected return on assets	(2,800)	(2,687)	(8,400)	(8,061)
Amortization of loss	1,658	1,615	4,974	4,845
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,274	1,398	3,822	4,194
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,364	1,416	4,092	4,248
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,392	3,557	10,176	10,671
Expected return on assets	(6,180)	(6,062)	(18,540)	(18,186)
Amortization of loss	2,310	2,340	6,930	7,020
Net other postretirement benefit cost	886	1,251	2,658	3,753
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,536	1,566	4,608	4,698
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,091	2,992	9,273	8,976
Expected return on assets	(4,663)	(4,459)	(13,989)	(13,377)
Amortization of loss	2,964	2,604	8,892	7,812
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,928	2,703	8,784	8,109
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,729	8,073	20,187	24,219
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	13,960	14,083	41,880	42,249
Expected return on assets	(9,408)	(10,455)	(28,224)	(31,365)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(10,356)	(11,373)	(31,068)	(34,119)
Amortization of loss	5,476	4,554	16,428	13,662
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,401	4,882	19,203	14,646
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	863	978	2,589	2,934
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,255	2,324	6,765	6,972
Expected return on assets	(3,959)	(4,464)	(11,877)	(13,392)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,278)	(1,368)	(3,834)	(4,104)
Amortization of loss	1,115	1,064	3,345	3,192
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,004)	(1,466)	(3,012)	(4,398)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,593	1,869	4,779	5,607
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,025	3,260	9,075	9,780
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,934)	(1,947)	(5,802)	(5,841)
Amortization of loss	465	732	1,395	2,196
Net other postretirement benefit cost	3,149	3,914	9,447	11,742
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	290	386	870	1,158
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	690	709	2,070	2,127
Expected return on assets	(1,200)	(1,379)	(3,600)	(4,137)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(456)	(234)	(1,368)	(702)
Amortization of loss	419	223	1,257	669
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(257)	(295)	(771)	(885)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	142	156	426	468
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	469	448	1,407	1,344
Expected return on assets	(1,159)	(1,154)	(3,477)	(3,462)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(186)	(186)	(558)	(558)
Amortization of loss	105	37	315	111
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(629)	(699)	(1,887)	(2,097)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	372	398	1,116	1,194
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,124	1,039	3,372	3,117
Expected return on assets	(2,180)	(2,394)	(6,540)	(7,182)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(579)	(681)	(1,737)	(2,043)
Amortization of loss	826	537	2,478	1,611
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(437)	(1,101)	(1,311)	(3,303)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	320	334	960	1,002
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	559	529	1,677	1,587
Expected return on assets	(717)	(814)	(2,151)	(2,442)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(378)	(393)	(1,134)	(1,179)
Amortization of loss	390	287	1,170	861
Net other postretirement benefit cost	174	(57)	522	(171)
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,800	8,000	28,900	16,500
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	111	105	483	317
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	46	58	141	176
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	62	60	189	179
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	18	16	55	48
Non-Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 124	$ 126	$ 377	$ 380