SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	$ 2,507		$ 2,576	[1]	$ 6,979		$ 7,432	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	126		118	[1]	352		344	[1]
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	5		6	[1]	14		21	[1]
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	280		251	[1]	803		729	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	49		75	[1]	48		289	[1]
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(94)		(12)	[1]	(375)		(4)	[1]
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	10		6	[1]	29		45	[1]
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	268		289	[1]	566		1,046	[1]
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					2,241		2,031
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	35,390				35,390				33,249	[1],[2]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	100.00%				100.00%				100.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	1,503				1,503				1,629
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	1,092		868		2,706		2,405
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	44.00%		34.00%		39.00%		32.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	49		37		124		104
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	128		108		359		316
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	46.00%		43.00%		45.00%		43.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	38		63		151		154
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	174	[3]	113	[3]	374	[3]	273	[3]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	65.00%		39.00%		66.00%		26.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					998		1,162
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					44.00%		57.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	14,589				14,589				13,555
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	41.00%				41.00%				41.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	3		2		6		5
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	17				17				67
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	728		844		2,328		2,776
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	29.00%		33.00%		33.00%		37.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	17		17		51		52
Segment reporting information, Interest Income			1				1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	91		83		268		246
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	33.00%		33.00%		33.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	37		41		105		106
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	71	[3]	81	[3]	190	[3]	208	[3]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	26.00%		28.00%		34.00%		20.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					462		499
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					21.00%		25.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	8,784				8,784				8,475
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	25.00%				25.00%				25.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	17		13		48		38
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	280				280				40
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	62		58		185		174
Segment reporting information, Interest Income			(2)				1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	3		4		9		11
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		2.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(17)		(58)		(91)		(100)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(1)		(16)		(2)		(27)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	(16)		(44)		(37)		(102)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(6.00%)		(15.00%)		(7.00%)		(10.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					3		1
Segment reporting information, Assets	520				520				538
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	1.00%				1.00%				2.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	135				135				137
Adjustments and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues			(1)		(1)		(1)
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	(44)		(33)		(125)		(95)
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(19)		(10)		(51)		(31)
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(171)	[4]	(125)	[4]	(359)	[4]	(372)	[4]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	(7.00%)		(5.00%)		(5.00%)		(5.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets	(3,108)	[5]			(3,108)	[5]			(2,162)	[5]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	(9.00%)				(9.00%)				(7.00%)
Sempra South American Utilities Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	356		345		1,061		706
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	14.00%		13.00%		15.00%		10.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	6		9		22		23
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	3		6		11		18
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	15		14		42		27
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		6.00%		5.00%		4.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	27		18		57		30
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax							23
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	40		50		118		386
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	15.00%		17.00%		21.00%		37.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					117		63
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					5.00%		3.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,241				3,241				2,981
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	54				54				52
Sempra Mexico Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	181		183		434		561
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	7.00%		7.00%		6.00%		8.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	4		4		10		15
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	4		3		10		7
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	15		15		46		46
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		6.00%		6.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	21		(7)		44		24
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	10		6		29		22
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	54		47		134		121
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	20.00%		16.00%		24.00%		12.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					13		11
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,042				3,042				2,914
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	333				333				302
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	78		48		161		157
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	643				643				543
Sempra Renewables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	27		7		49		17
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	1.00%				1.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	6		4		13		9
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	2				3
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	4		1		10		4
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		0.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(12)		(9)		(47)		(22)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(6)		(6)		(7)		(6)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	13		1		47		9
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	5.00%		1.00%		8.00%		1.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					564		124
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					25.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,412				2,412				1,210
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	7.00%				7.00%				4.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	666				666				390
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	521				521				263
Sempra Natural Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	294		455		761		1,340
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	12.00%		18.00%		11.00%		18.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	26		22		72		62
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	15		8		41		25
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	24		26		69		79
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	9.00%		10.00%		9.00%		11.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(45)		27		(171)		97
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(87)		10		(366)		29
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	(68)		41		(260)		151
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(25.00%)		14.00%		(46.00%)		14.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					84		171
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					4.00%		8.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	5,910				5,910				5,738
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	17.00%				17.00%				17.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	369				369				800
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	73		62		144		172
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Receivables	$ 1,600				$ 1,600				$ 1,200

[1] As adjusted for the retrospective effect of a change in accounting principle as we discuss in Note 1.

[2] Derived from audited financial statements.

[3] After preferred dividends.

[4] Revenues for reportable segments include intersegment revenues of: $3 million, $17 million, $78 million and $73 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012; $6 million, $48 million, $161 million and $144 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012; $2 million, $13 million, $48 million and $62 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011; and $5 million, $38 million, $157 million and $172 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 for SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra Mexico and Sempra Natural Gas, respectively.

[5] Assets for reportable segments include intersegment receivables of: $17 million, $280 million, $54 million, $643 million, $521 million, and $1.6 billion at September 30, 2012; and $67 million, $40 million, $52 million, $543 million, $263 million, and $1.2 billion at December 31, 2011 for SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra South American Utilities, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Renewables and Sempra Natural Gas, respectively.