Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 40,379	$ 33,606	$ 80,758	$ 67,213
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	60,799	73,912	121,598	147,853
Expected return on assets	(103,565)	(103,859)	(207,130)	(207,743)
Amortization of loss	87,259	58,420	174,518	116,838
Net other postretirement benefit cost	84,872	62,241	169,744	125,460
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	0	162	0	1,299
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	13,132	10,522
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	11,433	14,175	22,866	28,350
Expected return on assets	(19,622)	(20,176)	(39,244)	(40,352)
Amortization of loss	16,897	11,841	33,794	23,682
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,274	11,101	30,548	22,202
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	17,588	14,568
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,841	15,882	25,682	31,764
Expected return on assets	(22,402)	(22,652)	(44,804)	(45,304)
Amortization of loss	16,627	11,643	33,254	23,286
Net other postretirement benefit cost	15,860	12,157	31,720	24,314
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	4,046	3,258
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,340	4,068	6,680	8,136
Expected return on assets	(5,757)	(5,968)	(11,514)	(11,936)
Amortization of loss	4,748	3,105	9,496	6,209
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,354	2,834	8,708	5,667
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	663	569	1,326	1,138
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,456	1,874	2,912	3,748
Expected return on assets	(2,627)	(2,697)	(5,254)	(5,393)
Amortization of loss	2,005	1,530	4,010	3,059
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,497	1,276	2,994	2,552
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	3,092	2,700
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,782	3,612	5,564	7,224
Expected return on assets	(5,486)	(5,862)	(10,972)	(11,724)
Amortization of loss	3,265	2,334	6,530	4,668
Net other postretirement benefit cost	2,107	1,434	4,214	2,868
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	3,930	3,100
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,814	3,363	5,628	6,727
Expected return on assets	(4,663)	(4,677)	(9,326)	(9,354)
Amortization of loss	4,279	2,850	8,558	5,700
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,395	3,086	8,790	6,173
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,231	4,675	12,032	9,350
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	6,888	11,975	14,820	23,950
Expected return on assets	(10,182)	(9,562)	(20,510)	(19,124)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(8,985)	(8,844)	(14,907)	(17,688)
Amortization of loss	1,005	358	1,473	716
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(5,043)	(1,398)	(7,092)	(2,796)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	933	591	1,761	1,182
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,164	1,807	2,381	3,614
Expected return on assets	(4,260)	(3,991)	(8,586)	(7,982)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(396)	(1,238)	(1,057)	(2,476)
Amortization of loss	162	144	217	288
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,397)	(2,687)	(5,284)	(5,374)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,524	1,160	2,947	2,320
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,497	2,666	3,220	5,332
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,695)	(1,837)	(2,784)	(3,674)
Amortization of loss	(81)	(174)	(280)	(348)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,245	1,815	3,103	3,630
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	372	262	723	524
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	372	670	794	1,340
Expected return on assets	(1,287)	(1,199)	(2,594)	(2,398)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(444)	(439)	(765)	(878)
Amortization of loss	48	181	77	362
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(939)	(525)	(1,765)	(1,050)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	114	92	219	184
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	186	395	413	790
Expected return on assets	(1,344)	(1,237)	(2,699)	(2,474)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(228)	(171)	(304)	(342)
Amortization of loss	9	58	(29)	116
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,263)	(863)	(2,400)	(1,726)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	306	236	609	472
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	477	854	1,059	1,708
Expected return on assets	(2,403)	(2,276)	(4,838)	(4,552)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(939)	(561)	(1,489)	(1,122)
Amortization of loss	231	121	443	242
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,328)	(1,626)	(4,216)	(3,252)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	321	243	615	486
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	276	476	583	952
Expected return on assets	(735)	(697)	(1,483)	(1,394)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(282)	(363)	(501)	(726)
Amortization of loss	33	89	53	178
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(387)	(252)	(733)	(504)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,500	7,600	9,100	11,600
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	83	71	166	144
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	37	41	74	84
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	90	113	180	188
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	8	6	16	11
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 117	$ 122	$ 234	$ 246