Retirement And Other Postretirement Benefits (Components Of Qualified Net Pension Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	$ 40,366	$ 33,553	$ 121,124	$ 100,766
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	59,930	73,261	181,528	221,114
Expected return on assets	(103,534)	(103,751)	(310,664)	(311,494)
Amortization of loss	87,516	60,395	262,034	177,233
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	32,429	16,291	32,429	17,591
Net other postretirement benefit cost	116,707	79,749	286,451	205,210
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,580	5,260	19,712	15,782
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	11,054	14,175	33,920	42,525
Expected return on assets	(19,531)	(20,177)	(58,775)	(60,529)
Amortization of loss	17,092	11,840	50,886	35,522
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	19,708		19,708
Net other postretirement benefit cost	34,903	11,098	65,451	33,300
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	8,788	7,284	26,376	21,852
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	12,614	15,882	38,296	47,646
Expected return on assets	(22,415)	(22,651)	(67,219)	(67,955)
Amortization of loss	16,663	11,643	49,917	34,929
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	6,527		6,527
Net other postretirement benefit cost	22,177	12,158	53,897	36,472
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	2,015	1,629	6,061	4,887
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	3,234	4,068	9,914	12,204
Expected return on assets	(5,783)	(5,969)	(17,297)	(17,905)
Amortization of loss	4,747	3,104	14,243	9,313
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	2,299		2,299
Net other postretirement benefit cost	6,512	2,832	15,220	8,499
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	663	568	1,989	1,706
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,457	1,873	4,369	5,621
Expected return on assets	(2,627)	(2,696)	(7,881)	(8,089)
Amortization of loss	2,005	1,529	6,015	4,588
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	0		0
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,498	1,274	4,492	3,826
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,529	1,350	4,621	4,050
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,686	3,613	8,250	10,837
Expected return on assets	(5,483)	(5,862)	(16,455)	(17,586)
Amortization of loss	3,295	2,334	9,825	7,002
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	3,895		3,895
Net other postretirement benefit cost	5,922	1,435	10,136	4,303
Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,970	1,549	5,900	4,649
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	2,753	3,364	8,381	10,091
Expected return on assets	(4,687)	(4,678)	(14,013)	(14,032)
Amortization of loss	4,277	2,850	12,835	8,550
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment	0		0
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,313	3,085	13,103	9,258
Other Postretirement [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	6,231	4,675	18,263	14,025
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	6,888	11,975	21,708	35,925
Expected return on assets	(10,182)	(9,562)	(30,692)	(28,686)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(8,985)	(8,844)	(23,892)	(26,532)
Amortization of loss	1,005	358	2,478	1,074
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(5,043)	(1,398)	(12,135)	(4,194)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	933	591	2,694	1,773
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,164	1,807	3,545	5,421
Expected return on assets	(4,260)	(3,991)	(12,846)	(11,973)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(396)	(1,238)	(1,453)	(3,714)
Amortization of loss	162	144	379	432
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,397)	(2,687)	(7,681)	(8,061)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	1,524	1,160	4,471	3,480
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	1,497	2,666	4,717	7,998
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(1,695)	(1,837)	(4,479)	(5,511)
Amortization of loss	(81)	(174)	(361)	(522)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	1,245	1,815	4,348	5,445
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	372	262	1,095	786
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	372	670	1,166	2,010
Expected return on assets	(1,287)	(1,199)	(3,881)	(3,597)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(444)	(439)	(1,209)	(1,317)
Amortization of loss	48	181	125	543
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(939)	(525)	(2,704)	(1,575)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	114	92	333	276
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	186	395	599	1,185
Expected return on assets	(1,344)	(1,237)	(4,043)	(3,711)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(228)	(171)	(532)	(513)
Amortization of loss	9	58	(20)	174
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(1,263)	(863)	(3,663)	(2,589)
Other Postretirement [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	306	236	915	708
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	477	854	1,536	2,562
Expected return on assets	(2,403)	(2,276)	(7,241)	(6,828)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(939)	(561)	(2,428)	(1,683)
Amortization of loss	231	121	674	363
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(2,328)	(1,626)	(6,544)	(4,878)
Other Postretirement [Member] | System Energy [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost - benefits earned during the period	321	243	936	729
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation	276	476	859	1,428
Expected return on assets	(735)	(697)	(2,218)	(2,091)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(282)	(363)	(783)	(1,089)
Amortization of loss	33	89	86	267
Net other postretirement benefit cost	(387)	(252)	(1,120)	(756)
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Gain (Loss) Due to Curtailment		(955)		(4,600)
Net other postretirement benefit cost	4,500	4,600	13,600	16,300
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Arkansas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	83	67	249	211
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Louisiana [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	37	38	111	122
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Mississippi [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	90	69	270	257
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy New Orleans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	7	5	21	16
Non Qualified Pension Plans [Member] | Entergy Texas [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$ 118	$ 119	$ 354	$ 365