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 Mississippi [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Mississippi [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Arkansas [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Arkansas [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	Entergy Louisiana [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Member's Equity [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Entergy Louisiana [Member] Noncontrolling Interest	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	$ 10,961,142	$ 35,000	$ 6,549,923	$ 9,897,182	$ (449,207)	$ 2,700	$ (5,074,456)	$ 2,157,578	$ 35,000	$ 955,162	$ 1,117,964	$ 49,452	$ 1,672,734	$ 1,672,734	$ 0	$ 3,276,169	$ 3,276,169	$ 0	$ 7,457,688	$ 7,453,361	$ 4,327	$ 0	$ 606,917	$ 1,080,546	$ 128,696	$ 951,850
Consolidated net income	339,145	4,580	0	334,565	0	0	0	50,058	0	0	50,058	0	25,972	25,972	0	93,037	93,037	0	166,626	166,626	0	0	1,771	23,864	23,864	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(190,595)	0	0	(190,595)	0	0	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)	(51,300)	0	0	0	(51,300)	0	0												(407)	0	(407)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	1,636	0	29,871	0	0	0	(28,235)
Other																			(16)	(16)	0	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	4,000							470	0	0	470	0
Consolidated net income	337,750							94,848					77,388			149,630			310,553				6,402	54,194
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	0												0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(29,532)																		181
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	$ 9,159							941					0			0			0
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.90
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								85,000
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 11,052,176	35,000	6,520,052	10,041,152	(500,507)	2,700	(5,046,221)	2,207,166	35,000	955,162	1,167,552	49,452	1,698,706	1,698,706	0	3,369,206	3,369,206	0	7,623,891	7,619,971	3,920	0	608,688	1,083,410	131,560	951,850
Consolidated net income	(1,394)	4,580	0	(5,974)	0	0	0	44,790	0	0	44,790	0	51,416	51,416	0	56,593	56,593	0	143,927	143,927	0	0	4,631	30,330	30,330	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(190,629)	0	0	(190,629)	0	0	0																	(5,000)	(5,000)	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	21,768	0	0	0	21,768	0	0												588	0	588	0
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Other	28,216	0	28,213	0	0	3	0
Adjustments to Additional Paid in Capital, Stock Issued, Issuance Costs	(1,399)	0	(1,399)	0	0	0	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(18,789)	0	(14,810)	0	0	0	(3,979)
Other																			(12)	(12)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,580							471					0			0			0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	$ 4,000							471	0	0	471	0
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 0.95
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								85,000	0	85,000	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 10,922,947	35,000	6,561,676	9,844,549	(478,739)	2,703	(5,042,242)	2,336,485	35,000	1,040,162	1,211,871	49,452	1,750,122	1,750,122	0	3,425,799	3,425,799	0	7,768,394	7,763,886	4,508	0	613,319	1,108,740	156,890	951,850
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	11,705,394	68,110	6,766,239	10,240,552	(332,528)	2,720	(5,039,699)	2,483,206	38,750	1,050,125	1,344,879	49,452	1,839,568	1,839,568	0	3,575,855	3,542,745	33,110	8,180,572	8,172,294	8,278	0	638,715	1,091,360	139,510	951,850
Consolidated net income	279,593	3,193	0	276,400	0	0	0	50,403	0	0	50,403	0	30,355	30,355	0	65,567	66,954	(1,387)	150,860	150,860	0	0	15,126	31,432	31,432	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,058)	0	0	(205,058)	0	0	0												(125,000)	(125,000)	0	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(4,050)	0	0	0	(4,050)	0	0												(613)	0	(613)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(5,527)	0	31,085	0	0	0	(36,612)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash								518	0	0	518	0
Consolidated net income	443,604							147,888					79,309			128,677			467,519				34,672	(348,716)
Proceeds from Noncontrolling Interests	9,595												9,595
Other comprehensive income (loss)	8,490																		(1,104)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	$ 7,501							1,036					0			(1,916)			258
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 2.02
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent								0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 11,776,826	66,723	6,735,154	10,311,894	(336,578)	2,720	(5,003,087)	2,533,091	38,750	1,050,125	1,394,764	49,452	1,869,923	1,869,923	0	3,641,422	3,609,699	31,723	8,205,806	8,198,141	7,665	0	653,841	1,122,792	170,942	951,850
Consolidated net income	164,011	4,308	0	159,703	0	0	0	97,485	0	0	97,485	0	48,955	48,955	0	63,110	63,639	(529)	316,659	316,401	0	258	19,546	(380,148)	(380,148)	0
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	9,595	9,595	0	0	0	0	0						9,595	0	9,595
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(205,408)	0	0	(205,408)	0	0	0									(36,000)	(36,000)	0
Interest Expense, Beneficial Interests Issued by Consolidated Variable Interest Entities	31,636	31,636	0	0	0	0	0												31,636	0	0	31,636
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest Holders	(190)	(190)	0	0	0	0	0									(190)	0	(190)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Preferred Stock and Preference Stock	(4,580)	(4,580)	0	0	0	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,540	0	0	0	12,540	0	0												(491)	0	(491)	0
Common stock issuances related to stock plans	(34,141)	0	(15,214)	0	0	0	(18,927)
Other																			(13)	(13)	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Preferred Unit Holders	4,308							518					0			(529)			258
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	$ 4,000							518	0	0	518	0
Common stock dividend (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01
Proceeds from Contributions from Parent																			1,000,000	1,000,000	0	0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 11,818,571	$ 107,492	$ 6,750,368	$ 10,266,189	$ (324,038)	$ 2,720	$ (4,984,160)	$ 2,630,058	$ 38,750	$ 1,050,125	$ 1,491,731	$ 49,452	$ 1,928,473	$ 1,918,878	$ 9,595	$ 3,668,342	$ 3,637,338	$ 31,004	$ 9,553,597	$ 9,514,529	$ 7,174	$ 31,894	$ 673,387	$ 742,644	$ (209,206)	$ 951,850