Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 40,379	$ 33,607
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	60,799	73,941
Expected return on assets	(103,565)	(103,884)
Amortization of loss	87,259	58,418
Net other postretirement benefit cost	84,872	63,219
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	0	1,137
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,566	5,261
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	11,433	14,175
Expected return on assets	(19,622)	(20,176)
Amortization of loss	16,897	11,840
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,274	11,100
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,794	7,284
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,841	15,882
Expected return on assets	(22,402)	(22,652)
Amortization of loss	16,627	11,643
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,860	12,157
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,023	1,629
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,340	4,068
Expected return on assets	(5,757)	(5,968)
Amortization of loss	4,748	3,104
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,354	2,833
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	663	569
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,456	1,874
Expected return on assets	(2,627)	(2,696)
Amortization of loss	2,005	1,529
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,497	1,276
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,546	1,350
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,782	3,613
Expected return on assets	(5,486)	(5,862)
Amortization of loss	3,265	2,334
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,107	1,435
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,965	1,550
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,814	3,364
Expected return on assets	(4,663)	(4,678)
Amortization of loss	4,279	2,850
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,395	3,086
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	5,801	4,675
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	7,932	11,975
Expected return on assets	(10,328)	(9,562)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(5,922)	(8,844)
Amortization of loss	468	358
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,049)	(1,398)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	828	591
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,217	1,807
Expected return on assets	(4,326)	(3,991)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(661)	(1,238)
Amortization of loss	55	144
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,887)	(2,687)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,423	1,160
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,723	2,666
Expected return on assets	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,089)	(1,837)
Amortization of loss	(199)	(174)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,858	1,815
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	351	262
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	422	670
Expected return on assets	(1,307)	(1,199)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(321)	(439)
Amortization of loss	29	181
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(826)	(525)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	105	92
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	227	395
Expected return on assets	(1,355)	(1,237)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(76)	(171)
Amortization of loss	(38)	58
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,137)	(863)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	303	236
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	582	854
Expected return on assets	(2,435)	(2,276)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(550)	(561)
Amortization of loss	212	121
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,888)	(1,626)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	294	243
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	307	476
Expected return on assets	(748)	(697)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(219)	(363)
Amortization of loss	20	89
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(346)	(252)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,500	4,000
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	83	73
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	37	43
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	90	75
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	8	5
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 117	$ 124