DERIVATIVE IMPACT ON THE INCOME STATEMENT (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		$ (4)	$ (11)
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		1	1
Cash Flow Hedges
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	[1]	(1)	(2)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	[1]	(165)	(97)
Cash Flow Hedge Ineffectiveness		0	0
Cash Flow Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate Instruments | San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	[1]	(3)	(3)	[2]
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	[1],[2]	(5)	(5)
Cash Flow Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate And Foreign Exchange Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)	[2]	(4)	(6)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)	[2]	(11)	(18)
Cash Flow Hedges | Equity Earnings Before Income Tax [Member] | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)		(3)	(3)
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)		(137)	(78)
Cash Flow Hedges | Equity Earnings Net Of Income Tax [Member] | Interest Rate And Foreign Exchange Instruments [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)		(1)	0
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)		(18)	0
Cash Flow Hedges | Revenues: Energy-Related Business [Member] | Commodity Contracts Not Subject To Rate Recovery
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into earnings (effective portion)		7	7
Amount of pretax gain (loss) on derivative recognized in OCI (effective portion)		1	(1)
Fair Value Hedges | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings	[3]	2	3
Fair Value Hedges | Interest Expense | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		2	2
Fair Value Hedge Ineffectiveness		0	0
Fair Value Hedges | Other Income, Net | Interest Rate Instruments
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		0	1
Undesignated Derivatives
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		(9)	(17)
Undesignated Derivatives | Other Income, Net | Foreign Exchange Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		3	0
Undesignated Derivatives | Equity Earnings Net Of Income Tax [Member] | Foreign Exchange Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		2	(1)
Undesignated Derivatives | Revenues: Energy-Related Business [Member] | Commodity Contracts Not Subject To Rate Recovery
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		(1)	3
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Electric Fuel and Purchased Power [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		(12)	(20)
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Electric Fuel and Purchased Power [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		(12)	(20)
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Natural Gas [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		(1)	1
Undesignated Derivatives | Cost of Natural Gas [Member] | Commodity Contracts Subject To Rate Recovery [Member] | Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivative recognized in earnings		$ (1)	$ 1

[1] Amounts include negligible hedge ineffectiveness in the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.

[2] Amounts include Otay Mesa VIE. All of SDG&E’s interest rate derivative activity relates to Otay Mesa VIE.

[3] There was no hedge ineffectiveness in either the three months ended March 31, 2016 or 2015. All other changes in the fair values of the interest rate swap agreements are exactly offset by changes in the fair value of the underlying long-term debt and recorded in Other Income, Net.