OTHER FINANCIAL DATA - COMPREHENSIVE INCOME AND EQUITY (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended																						3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 MXN	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Bay Gas Storage Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Bay Gas Storage Company [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Southern Gas Transmission [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Southern Gas Transmission [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Liberty Gas Storage [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Liberty Gas Storage [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Tecsur [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Tecsur [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Luz Del Sur [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Luz Del Sur [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Chilquinta Energia [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Chilquinta Energia [Member] USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Otay Mesa VIE [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others, Otay Mesa VIE [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Ownership Interests Held By Others IEnova [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Ownership Interests Held By Others IEnova [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2013 San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Southern California Gas Company [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern California Gas Company [Member] USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2014 Total Shareholders' Equity USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 Total Shareholders' Equity USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Total Shareholders' Equity San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 Total Shareholders' Equity San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Noncontrolling Interests [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 Noncontrolling Interests [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 Noncontrolling Interests [Member] San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 Noncontrolling Interests [Member] San Diego Gas and Electric Company and Subsidiary [Member] USD ($)
Comprehensive Income Disclosure [Line Items]
Equity, beginning of period			$ 11,850	[1]	$ 10,683																				$ 4,719	[1]	$ 4,298	$ 2,627	$ 2,549	[1]	$ 11,008	$ 10,282	$ 4,628	$ 4,222	$ 842	$ 401	$ 91	$ 76
Comprehensive income (loss)			219		176																				101		84				202	179	99	92	17	(3)	2	(8)
Share-based compensation expense			10		10																										10	10			0	0
Common stock dividends declared			(162)		(153)																										(162)	(153)			0	0
Preferred dividend requirements																									0		(1)
Preferred dividends of subsidiaries			0		(2)
Issuance of common stock			11		15																										11	15			0	0
Tax benefit related to share-based compensation			8		2																										8	2			0	0
Repurchases of common stock			(37)		(45)																										(37)	(45)			0	0
Sale of noncontrolling interests, net of offering costs					574																											135				439
Noncontrolling Interest Increase			1		4																										0	0			1	4
Distributions to noncontrolling interests			(11)		(3)																				6		4				0	0	0	0	(11)	(3)	6	4
Equity, end of period	11,261		11,889		11,261																				4,814		4,385	2,627	2,549	[1]	11,040	10,423	4,727	4,313	849	838	87	72
Ownership Interests Held By Others [Line Items]
Percent of ownership held by others							9.10%		49.00%		25.00%		9.80%		20.20%						100.00%		18.90%
Percent of ownership held by others, minimum																	24.40%	[2]
Percent of ownership held by others, maximum																	43.40%	[2]
Amount of ownership interests held by others			829			822	22	22	1	1	15	14	4	3	222	222	26	[2]	27	[2]	87	91	452	442
Sale Of Noncontrolling Interests [Abstract]
Proceeds From Sale Of Noncontrolling Interests Net	$ 574	7,100	$ 0		$ 574

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.

[2] Chilquinta Energía has four subsidiaries with noncontrolling interests held by others. Percentage range reflects the highest and lowest ownership percentages amongst these subsidiaries.