SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	$ 2,576		$ 2,116		$ 7,432		$ 6,658
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	118		111		344		323
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	6		5		21		13
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	251		218		730		643
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	68		(32)		269		85
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(12)		(273)		(4)		(266)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	296		131		1,065		459
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					2,031		1,354
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	32,616				32,616				30,283
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	100.00%				100.00%				100.00%
Segment reporting information, Investment in Equity Method Investees	1,584				1,584				2,765
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	868		811		2,405		2,245
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	34.00%		38.00%		32.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	37		37		104		99
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	108		96		316		283
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	43.00%		44.00%		43.00%		44.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	63		56		154		131
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	113	[1]	106	[1]	273	[1]	264	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	38.00%		81.00%		26.00%		58.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1,162		822
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					57.00%		61.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	13,016				13,016				12,077
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	40.00%				40.00%				40.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	2		1		5		4
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	844		776		2,776		2,792
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	33.00%		37.00%		37.00%		42.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	17		17		52		50
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1		1		1		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	83		78		246		230
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	33.00%		36.00%		34.00%		36.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	41		42		106		132
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	81	[1]	78	[1]	208	[1]	212	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	27.00%		59.00%		20.00%		46.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					499		337
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					25.00%		25.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	7,781				7,781				7,986
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	24.00%				24.00%				26.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	13		11		38		32
Sempra Generation Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	259		293		796		879
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	10.00%		14.00%		11.00%		13.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	5		4		11		11
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1		6		7		11
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	18		16		55		47
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	7.00%		7.00%		8.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(8)		20		26		(12)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(6)		(1)		(6)		(2)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	49		59		143		60
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	17.00%		45.00%		13.00%		13.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					168		32
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					8.00%		2.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,141				2,141				2,401
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	7.00%				7.00%				8.00%
Segment reporting information, Investment in Equity Method Investees	142				142				185
Sempra Pipelines and Storage Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	426		77		980		262
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	16.00%		3.00%		13.00%		4.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	21		10		56		25
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	7		4		24		12
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	27		11		66		32
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	11.00%		5.00%		9.00%		5.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	23		23		52		36
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	11		10		30		32
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	6		(4)		45		42
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	66		43		457		120
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	22.00%		33.00%		43.00%		26.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					192		151
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					10.00%		11.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	7,174				7,174				5,175
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	22.00%				22.00%				17.00%
Segment reporting information, Investment in Equity Method Investees	1,108	[2]			1,108	[2]			1,777	[2]
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	11		8		33		35
Sempra L N G Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	207		183		552		554
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	8.00%		9.00%		8.00%		8.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	10		13		32		37
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1		1		3		1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	13		13		38		38
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		6.00%		5.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	9		3		32		19
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	24		5		75		50
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	8.00%		4.00%		7.00%		11.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					9		9
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment							1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,451				2,451				2,379
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	7.00%				7.00%				8.00%
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	57	[3]	59	[3]	174	[3]	181	[3]
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(1)	[3]
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	2		4		9		13
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		2.00%		1.00%		2.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(60)		(176)		(101)		(221)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(17)		(282)		(28)		(296)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	(37)		(160)		(91)		(247)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(12.00%)		(122.00%)		(9.00%)		(54.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1		3
Segment reporting information, Assets	932				932				1,691
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	3.00%				3.00%				6.00%
Segment reporting information, Investment in Equity Method Investees	334				334				803
Adjustments and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(2)		(4)		(1)		(3)
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	(29)	[3]	(29)	[3]	(85)	[3]	(80)	[3]
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(3)	[3]	(7)	[3]	(14)	[3]	(12)	[3]
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(26)	[4]	(20)	[4]	(76)	[4]	(71)	[4]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	(1.00%)		(1.00%)		(1.00%)		(1.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets	$ (879)				$ (879)				$ (1,426)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	(3.00%)				(3.00%)				(5.00%)

[1] After preferred dividends.

[2] We provide additional information regarding Sempra Pipelines & Storage's investments in Note 3.

[3] Prior year amounts have been revised to present amounts after eliminations between Parent and corporate entities.

[4] Revenues for reportable segments include intersegment revenues of: $2 million, $13 million and $11 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011, and $1 million, $11 million and $8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2010, for SDG&E, SoCalGas and Sempra Pipelines & Storage, respectively. $5 million, $38 million and $33 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, and $4 million, $32 million and $35 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, for SDG&E, SoCalGas and Sempra Pipelines & Storage, respectively.