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
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
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100
Consolidated net income	868,639							133,502					98,302	239,136	565,977			46,934	73,081
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								87,500
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	33,486							33,486
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock								0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	144,207														(2,907)
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	50,000
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	12,438							110
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
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
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100
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
Consolidated net income	369,459	4,219	0	365,240	0	0	0	73,224	0	0	73,224	0	56,237	149,716	255,260	255,260	0	24,908	25,031	25,031	0
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								87,500	0	87,500	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	35,000	35,000	0	0	0	0	0	33,486	35,000	(1,514)	0	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(180,956)	0	0	(180,956)	0	0	0								(53,000)	(53,000)	0		(22,500)	(22,500)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,219)	(4,219)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	10,632	0	0	0	10,632	0	0								(969)	0	(969)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(42,642)	0	(13,476)	0	0	0	(29,166)
Other															(8)	(8)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,219							110
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100							110	0	0	110	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	10,070,061	35,000	6,553,009	9,057,749	(419,772)	2,700	(5,158,625)	1,676,780	35,000	682,980	909,348	49,452	1,390,528	3,107,239	6,310,955	6,320,015	(9,060)	491,884	699,779	97,929	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
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
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100							470	0	0	470	0
Consolidated net income	1,014,105							171,739					120,008	240,608	583,321			35,565	88,568
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								175,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0							0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock								(1,594)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	56,500														7,722
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	13,739							1,411
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
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
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100							471	0	0	471	0
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
Consolidated net income	525,699	4,580	0	521,119	0	0	0	92,164	0	0	92,164	0	58,589	135,843	223,466	223,466	0	19,450	31,064	31,064	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(186,207)	0	0	(186,207)	0	0	0						(5,000)	(25,000)	(5,000)	(5,000)	0		(21,000)	(21,000)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,816)	0	0	0	(1,816)	0	0								(800)	0	(800)
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(12,755)	0	(11,211)	0	0	0	(1,544)
Other								(10)	0	(10)	0	0			(8)	(8)	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,580							470
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,100							470	0	0	470	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 10,806,839	$ 35,000	$ 6,535,541	$ 9,699,435	$ (390,420)	$ 2,700	$ (5,075,417)	$ 2,144,715	$ 35,000	$ 955,162	$ 1,105,101	$ 49,452	$ 1,654,659	$ 3,341,545	$ 6,966,630	$ 6,954,346	$ 12,284	$ 533,144	$ 719,983	$ 118,133	$ 601,850