Consolidated Statements Of Changes In Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Paid In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Subsidiaries Preferred Stock [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Paid In Capital [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Entergy Texas [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy New Orleans [Member]	System Energy [Member]	System Energy [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	System Energy [Member] Common Stock [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 8,844,305	$ 0	$ 5,951,431	$ 8,721,150	$ (557,173)	$ 2,616	$ (5,273,719)	$ 1,422,402	$ 0	$ 596,994	$ 775,956	$ 49,452	$ 1,292,226	$ 2,983,103	$ 5,902,918	$ 5,909,071	$ (6,153)	$ 444,950	$ 737,198	$ 135,348	$ 601,850
Consolidated net income	258,646	4,109	0	254,537	0	0	0	21,342	0	0	21,342	0	15,398	39,121	127,633	127,633	0	9,023	23,578	23,578	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(172,591)	0	0	(172,591)	0	0	0								(49,000)	(49,000)	0		(45,500)	(45,500)	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(4,100)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,109)	(4,109)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,827	0	0	0	12,827	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(31,289)	0	31,248	0	0	0	(62,537)
Other															(11)	(11)	0
Consolidated net income	499,180							60,278					42,065	89,420	310,717			22,026	48,050
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(8,219)							0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	133,575														(1,938)
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	50,000
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	8,219							0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	8,970,367	0	5,920,183	8,809,902	(551,152)	2,616	(5,211,182)	1,443,744	0	596,994	797,298	49,452	1,307,624	3,022,224	5,980,571	5,987,693	(7,122)	453,973	715,276	113,426	601,850
Consolidated net income	240,533	4,109	0	236,424	0	0	0	38,936	0	0	38,936	0	26,667	50,299	183,084	183,084	0	13,003	24,472	24,472	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(172,861)	0	0	(172,861)	0	0	0							(115,000)	(53,000)	(53,000)	0		(42,500)	(42,500)	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(4,100)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,109)	(4,109)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	120,748	0	0	0	120,748	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues	(607,650)	0	(607,566)	0	0	(84)	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Stock Issued, Issuance Costs	(7)	0	(7)	0	0	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(35,182)	0	(11,791)	0	0	0	(23,391)
Other															(14)	(14)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,109							0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	9,797,503	0	6,539,533	8,873,465	(430,404)	2,700	(5,187,791)	1,482,680	0	596,994	836,234	49,452	1,334,291	2,957,523	6,109,672	6,117,763	(8,091)	466,976	697,248	95,398	601,850
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	10,258,675	35,000	6,564,436	9,257,609	(446,920)	2,700	(5,154,150)	1,799,407	35,000	780,182	934,773	49,452	1,542,151	3,125,937	6,397,118	6,392,556	4,562	497,579	712,068	110,218	601,850
Consolidated net income	123,294	4,580	0	118,714	0	0	0	32,707	0	0	32,707	0	22,526	44,595	189,396	189,396	0	11,186	28,513	28,513	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								175,000	0	175,000	0	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(185,763)	0	0	(185,763)	0	0	0						(2,500)		(11,500)	(11,500)	0		(13,653)	(13,653)	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(4,100)							(470)	0	0	(470)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	47,933	0	0	0	47,933	0	0								9,467	0	9,467
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(19,827)	0	53,753	0	0	0	(73,580)
Other															(10)	(10)	0
Consolidated net income	488,406							79,575					61,419	104,765	359,855			16,115	57,504
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								175,000
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock								(1,124)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	58,316														8,522
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	9,159							941
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	10,258,967	35,000	6,510,683	9,190,141	(398,987)	2,700	(5,080,570)	2,006,644	35,000	955,182	967,010	49,452	1,562,177	3,170,532	6,584,471	6,570,442	14,029	508,765	726,928	125,078	601,850
Consolidated net income	365,113	4,580	0	360,533	0	0	0	46,868	0	0	46,868	0	38,893	60,170	170,459	170,459	0	4,929	28,991	28,991	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(186,151)	0	0	(186,151)	0	0	0								(5,000)	(5,000)	0		(46,000)	(46,000)	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(4,100)							(471)	0	0	(471)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,383	0	0	0	10,383	0	0								(945)	0	(945)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(17,256)	0	(13,647)	0	0	0	(3,609)
Other								(10)	0	(10)	0	0			(13)	(13)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,580							471
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 10,460,988	$ 35,000	$ 6,524,330	$ 9,364,523	$ (388,604)	$ 2,700	$ (5,076,961)	$ 2,053,031	$ 35,000	$ 955,172	$ 1,013,407	$ 49,452	$ 1,601,070	$ 3,230,702	$ 6,748,972	$ 6,735,888	$ 13,084	$ 513,694	$ 709,919	$ 108,069	$ 601,850