COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011
Purchased Power Contracts [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount		$ 62,000,000
Nuclear Fuel Fabrication [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount		23,000,000
Sunrise Powerlink Construction [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount		313,000,000
Electric Distribution, Advanced Metering And Generation Infrastructure [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount		51,000,000
Natural Gas Infrastructure Construction [Member] | Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Long-term Purchase Commitment, Amount		345,000,000
Sempra Energy [Member]
Payments Under Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due, Current	(591,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	(395,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	(178,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	3,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	26,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Liquefied Natural Gas Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	1,300,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments		(94,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due, Current	(55,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	(3,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	(2,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	(34,000,000)
Luz Del Sur [Member]
Payments Under Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due, Current	192,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	436,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	477,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	524,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	577,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	4,700,000,000
Chilquinta Energia [Member]
Payments Under Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due, Current	141,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	283,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	306,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	320,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	355,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	3,100,000,000
San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member]
Payments Under Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due, Current	294,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	67,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	9,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	4,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	3,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	10,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due, Current	(2,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	1,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	2,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	2,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	2,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Purchased Power Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	57,000,000
Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Payments Under Contractual Commitments [Line Items]
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due, Current	29,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	29,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	62,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Four Years	59,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due In Five Years	59,000,000
Contractual Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	107,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments		5,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due, Current	(200,000,000)
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due In Two Years	183,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due In Three Years	23,000,000
Increase (Decrease) In Natural Gas Contracts Commitments, Payments Due Thereafter	$ 1,000,000