Adjustment To Revenue, Change in Tax Estimates, Net of Tax

No definition available.

Name:	sre_AdjustmentToRevenueChangeinTaxEstimatesNetofTax
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Adjustment To Revenue, Refund Of Tax Memorandum Account, Net of Tax

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_AdjustmentToRevenueRefundOfTaxMemorandumAccountNetofTax
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Adjustment To Revenue, Refund Of Tax Memorandum Account, Pre-tax

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_AdjustmentToRevenueRefundOfTaxMemorandumAccountPretax
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Deductible Per Event.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_Deductible
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_GeneralRateCaseRateBaseAdjustment
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

General Rate Case, Revenue Requirement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_GeneralRateCaseRevenueRequirement
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

General Rate Case, Revenue Requirement Adjustment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_GeneralRateCaseRevenueRequirementAdjustment
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

General Rate Case, Revenue Requirement, Revised Request.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_GeneralRateCaseRevenueRequirementRevisedRequest
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Public Utilities, Requested Rate Increase (Decrease), Amount, Net of Tax

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmountNetofTax
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Regulatory Asset Other.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_RegulatoryAssetOther
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Regulatory Asset Other, Noncurrent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_RegulatoryAssetOtherNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Regulatory Liability.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sre_RegulatoryLiability
Namespace Prefix:	sre_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount the liability recorded for the income tax examination increased or decreased in the current year/accounting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationIncreaseDecreaseInLiabilityFromPriorYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesGeneralDisclosuresLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of public utility's amended requested rate increase (decrease) with regulatory agency.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmendedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of public utility's amended requested rate increase (decrease) with regulatory agency.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRequestedRateIncreaseDecreaseAmendedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis=sre_Year2015Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis=sre_Year2016Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis=sre_Years2017and2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sre_SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

CALIFORNIA UTILITIES' REGULATORY MATTERS - GENERAL RATE CASE (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Retroactive revenue requirement increase for the first quarter of 2016, After-tax		$ 9
Refund of 2015 memorandum account, Pretax		37
Refund of 2015 memorandum account, After-tax		22
Adjustment To Revenue, True Up Of 2012-2014 Tax Estimates		9
Increase (decrease) in final tax deduction refund			$ (5)
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] \| Year 2015 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Requested rate decrease from proposed settlement	$ 32
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] \| Year 2016 [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Revenue requirement			1,791
Requested rate decrease from proposed settlement			20
Revenue revised requirement			1,811
Regulatory asset			25
Regulatory asset, Noncurrent			5
Reduction in rate base			55
Reduction in revenue requirements			$ 7
Regulatory Liability		15
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] \| Years 2017 and 2018 [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Annual escalation (percentage)			3.50%
Deductible			$ 5
Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Retroactive revenue requirement increase for the first quarter of 2016, After-tax		12
Refund of 2015 memorandum account, Pretax		72
Refund of 2015 memorandum account, After-tax		43
Adjustment To Revenue, True Up Of 2012-2014 Tax Estimates		6
Increase (decrease) in final tax deduction refund			(19)
Southern California Gas Company [Member] \| Year 2015 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Requested rate decrease from proposed settlement	$ 53
Southern California Gas Company [Member] \| Year 2016 [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Revenue requirement			2,204
Requested rate decrease from proposed settlement			15
Revenue revised requirement			2,219
Regulatory asset			58
Regulatory asset, Noncurrent			12
Reduction in rate base			38
Reduction in revenue requirements			$ 5
Regulatory Liability		$ 11
Southern California Gas Company [Member] \| Years 2017 and 2018 [Member]
Public Utilities, General Disclosures [Line Items]
Annual escalation (percentage)			3.50%
Deductible			$ 5