SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 2,622,000,000	$ 2,682,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		100.00%	100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 143,000,000	$ 134,000,000
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		6,000,000	7,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 328,000,000	$ 303,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		100.00%	100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 142,000,000	$ 163,000,000
Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax		(22,000,000)	19,000,000
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax		17,000,000	15,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ 319,000,000	$ 437,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		100.00%	100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 971,000,000	$ 780,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		100.00%	100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 41,835,000,000		$ 41,150,000,000	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		100.00%		100.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ 2,727,000,000		$ 2,905,000,000
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 991,000,000	$ 966,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		38.00%	36.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 48,000,000	$ 52,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation		$ 159,000,000	$ 145,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation		49.00%	48.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 72,000,000	$ 88,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ 129,000,000	$ 147,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		40.00%	34.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 329,000,000	$ 355,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		34.00%	46.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 16,625,000,000		$ 16,515,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		40.00%		40.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues		$ 3,000,000	$ 2,000,000
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 1,033,000,000	$ 1,048,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		40.00%	39.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 22,000,000	$ 19,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation		$ 122,000,000	$ 113,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation		37.00%	37.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 87,000,000	$ 95,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)	[2]	$ 195,000,000	$ 214,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		61.00%	49.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 340,000,000	$ 315,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		35.00%	40.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 12,427,000,000		$ 12,104,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		30.00%		29.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues		$ 17,000,000	$ 19,000,000
Sempra South American Utilities Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 400,000,000	$ 389,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		15.00%	15.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 9,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		5,000,000	4,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 13,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		4.00%	4.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 14,000,000	$ 16,000,000
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax		2,000,000	(1,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ 38,000,000	$ 41,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		12.00%	9.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 43,000,000	$ 31,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		4.00%	4.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 3,434,000,000		$ 3,235,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		8.00%		8.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ (2,000,000)		$ (4,000,000)
Sempra Mexico Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 138,000,000	$ 163,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		5.00%	6.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 4,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		2,000,000	2,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 17,000,000	$ 17,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		5.00%	6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 41,000,000	$ 8,000,000
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax		15,000,000	16,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ 17,000,000	$ 47,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		5.00%	11.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 40,000,000	$ 55,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		4.00%	7.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 3,843,000,000		$ 3,783,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		9.00%		9.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ 522,000,000		$ 519,000,000
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues		27,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Sempra Renewables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 7,000,000	$ 8,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		0.00%	0.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 0	$ 1,000,000
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		1,000,000	0
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 1,000,000	$ 2,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		0.00%	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ (12,000,000)	$ (17,000,000)
Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax		7,000,000	2,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ 13,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		4.00%	3.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 181,000,000	$ 3,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		19.00%	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 1,454,000,000		$ 1,441,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		3.00%		4.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ 823,000,000		$ 855,000,000
Sempra Natural Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue		$ 130,000,000	$ 197,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		5.00%	7.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 12,000,000	$ 21,000,000
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		16,000,000	19,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 13,000,000	$ 12,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		4.00%	4.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ (25,000,000)	$ 2,000,000
Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax		(29,000,000)	17,000,000
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ (36,000,000)	$ 2,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		(11.00%)	0.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 35,000,000	$ 10,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		4.00%	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 5,395,000,000		$ 5,566,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		13.00%		13.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ 1,308,000,000		$ 1,460,000,000
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenues		30,000,000	$ 43,000,000
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		(24,000,000)	(32,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Interest Income		(18,000,000)	(18,000,000)
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenue	[3]	$ (77,000,000)	$ (89,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues		(3.00%)	(3.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ (2,084,000,000)		$ (2,228,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		(5.00%)		(5.00%)
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense		$ 72,000,000	$ 63,000,000
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization		$ 3,000,000	$ 1,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization		1.00%	0.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ (35,000,000)	$ (29,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Earnings (Losses)		$ (37,000,000)	$ (27,000,000)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)		(11.00%)	(6.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for property plant and equipment		$ 3,000,000	$ 11,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment		0.00%	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets		$ 741,000,000		$ 734,000,000
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets		2.00%		2.00%
Equity investments In Joint Ventures		$ 76,000,000		$ 75,000,000

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.

[2] After preferred dividends.

[3] Revenues for reportable segments include intersegment revenues of $3 million, $17 million, $27 million and $30 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and $2 million, $19 million, $25 million and $43 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 for SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra Mexico and Sempra Natural Gas, respectively.