Leases Leases (Lease, Maturity) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 1 month 6 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 16,088
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	3,608
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	59,965	$ 31,876
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	13,521
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	53,791	32,609
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	11,973
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	45,391	10,180
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	10,775
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	35,050
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	9,664
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	56,906
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	26,889
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	267,191	105,824
Operating Lease, Cost	30,438
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	76,430
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	11,696
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	236,753
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 64,734
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	6 years 9 months 14 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.91%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	4.67%
Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	6 years 1 month 2 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 3,168
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	713
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	11,756
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	2,654
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	9,911
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	2,258
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	7,613
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	1,969
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	6,341
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,728
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	16,421
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	2,905
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	55,210
Operating Lease, Cost	5,667
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	12,227
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	961
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	49,543
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 11,266
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 5 months 8 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.75%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.75%
Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 3 months 10 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 2,863
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	1,135
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	10,518
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	4,191
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	8,787
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	3,536
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	6,068
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	3,096
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	4,079
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	2,635
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	4,702
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	3,818
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	37,017
Operating Lease, Cost	2,759
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	18,411
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	1,626
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	34,258
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 16,785
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 4 months 28 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.74%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.75%
Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 7 months 24 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 1,968
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	429
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	6,066
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,655
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	4,937
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	1,490
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	3,503
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	1,297
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,376
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,078
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	2,642
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	1,740
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	20,492
Operating Lease, Cost	2,101
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	7,689
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	695
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	18,391
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 6,994
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 4 months 28 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.77%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.71%
Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	3 years 11 months 26 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 332
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	204
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,196
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	660
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	939
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	549
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	659
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	499
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	497
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	451
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	729
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	881
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	4,352
Operating Lease, Cost	459
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	3,244
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	332
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	3,893
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 2,912
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 8 months 19 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.94%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.93%
Entergy Texas [Member]
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	4 years 5 months 26 days
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Next Twelve Months	$ 1,022
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Remainder of Fiscal Year	375
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	4,014	31,876
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Two	1,364
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	3,279	32,609
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Three	1,171
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	2,338	10,180
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Four	965
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	1,994
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due Year Five	827
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	2,193
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due after Year Five	1,316
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	14,840	$ 105,824
Operating Lease, Cost	1,724
Finance Lease, Liability, Payments, Due	6,018
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability	545
Present Value Net Minimum Operating Lease Payments	13,116
Present Value Net Minimum Financing Lease Payments	$ 5,473
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 3 months
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.86%
Finance Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.84%