Fair Value Measurements Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures (Details) (USD $)													3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures:		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options:	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures:	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Electricity Full Requirements Contracts:	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures:	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures:	Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Full Requirements Contracts: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Full Requirements Contracts: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Electricity Full Requirements Contracts: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Assets Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Natural Gas Physical and Financial Options: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Electricity Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities FTRs Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Minimum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Maximum		Mar. 31, 2013 Level 3 Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures, Liabilities Liquids Physical and Financial Forwards and Futures: Wieghted Average
Fair Value, Option, Quantitative Disclosures [Line Items]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets	$ 751,000,000	[1]	$ 828,000,000	[1]	$ 51,000,000	$ 11,000,000	[2]	$ 4,000,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 9,000,000	$ 2,000,000	$ 18,000,000
Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities	644,000,000	[3]	661,000,000	[3]	42,000,000	18,000,000	[2]	6,000,000	1,000,000		5,000,000	12,000,000
Market Price (per unit)													(1)	[4]	6	[4]	3	[4],[5]	3	[4]	11	[4]	4	[4],[5]	34	[4]	76	[4]	49	[4],[5]	11	[6]	480	[6]	47	[4],[5]	(3)	[4]	5	[4]	0	[4],[5]	0	[4]	3	[4]	1	[4],[5]	(1)	[4]	6	[4]	2	[4],[5]	3	[4]	11	[4]	5	[4],[5]	23	[4]	43	[4]	33	[4],[5]	(1)	[4]	18	[4]	1	[4],[5]	1	[4]	3	[4]	2	[4],[5]
Price Volatility (percentage)																			8.00%	[7],[8]	546.00%	[7],[8]	42.00%	[5],[7]																															8.00%	[7],[8]	546.00%	[7],[8]	27.00%	[5],[7]
Price Correlation (percentage)																			37.00%	[9]	100.00%	[9]	57.00%	[5],[9]																															37.00%	[9]	100.00%	[9]	57.00%	[5],[9]
Mean Reversion (per unit)																			$ 0	[10]	$ 58	[10]	$ 11	[10],[5]																															$ 0	[10]	$ 58	[10]	$ 11	[10],[5]
Load Shaping (percentage)																															1.00%	[11]	8.00%	[11]	4.00%	[11],[5]
Usage Factor (percentage)																															1.00%	[12]	7.00%	[12]	5.00%	[12],[5]

[1] The total derivative asset balance contains $534 million of current assets, $527 million and $7 million which is presented in current derivative assets and assets held for sale, respectively, in Dominion’s Consolidated Balance Sheet, and $217 million of noncurrent derivative assets, which is presented in other deferred charges and other assets in Dominion’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

[2] Includes basis.

[3] The total derivative liability balance contains $556 million of current liabilities, which is presented in current derivative liabilities in Dominion’s Consolidated Balance Sheet, and $88 million of noncurrent derivative liabilities, which is presented in the other deferred credits and other liabilities in Dominion’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

[4] Represents market prices beyond defined terms for Levels 1 & 2.

[5] Averages weighted by volume.

[6] The range in market prices is the result of large variability in hourly power prices during peak and off-peak hours.

[7] Represents volatilities unrepresented in published markets.

[8] The range in volatilities is the result of large variability in natural gas basis prices.

[9] Represents intra-price correlations for which markets do not exist.

[10] Represents mean-reverting property in price simulation modeling.

[11] Converts block monthly loads to 24-hour load shapes.

[12] Represents expected increase (decrease) in sales volumes compared to historical usage.