Variable Interest Entities	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	Variable Interest Entities The primary beneficiary of a VIE is required to consolidate the VIE and to disclose certain information about its significant variable interests in the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has both: 1) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity's economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Dominion As of September 30, 2016, Dominion owns the general partner interest and 65.0% of the limited partnership interests in Dominion Midstream, which owns a preferred equity interest and the general partner interest in Cove Point. Additionally, Dominion owns the manager and 67% of the membership interest in certain merchant solar facilities, as discussed in Note 2. Dominion has concluded that these entities are VIEs due to the limited partners or members lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion is the primary beneficiary of Dominion Midstream and the merchant solar facilities, and Dominion Midstream is the primary beneficiary of Cove Point, as they have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to them. Dominion owns a 48% membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Atlantic Coast Pipeline is focused on constructing an approximately 600-mile natural gas pipeline running from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina, which is expected to be in service in the second half of 2019. See Note 9 to the Companies' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 for more details regarding the nature of this entity. Dominion concluded that Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a VIE because it has insufficient equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. Dominion has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance, as the power to direct is shared among multiple unrelated parties. Dominion is obligated to provide capital contributions based on its ownership percentage. Dominion's maximum exposure to loss is limited to its current and future investment. Dominion and Virginia Power Dominion and Virginia Power’s nuclear decommissioning trust funds and Dominion’s rabbi trusts hold investments in limited partnerships or similar type entities (see Note 10 for further details). Dominion and Virginia Power concluded that these partnership investments are VIEs due to the limited partners lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion and Virginia Power have concluded neither is the primary beneficiary as they do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact these VIEs’ economic performance. Dominion and Virginia Power are obligated to provide capital contributions to the partnerships as required by each partnership agreement based on their ownership percentages. Dominion and Virginia Power’s maximum exposure to loss is limited to their current and future investments. Dominion and Dominion Gas Dominion previously concluded that Iroquois was a VIE because a non-affiliated Iroquois equity holder had the ability during a limited period of time to transfer its ownership interests to another Iroquois equity holder or its affiliate. At the end of the first quarter of 2016, such right no longer existed and, as a result, Dominion concluded that Iroquois is no longer a VIE. Virginia Power Virginia Power had long-term power and capacity contracts with five non-utility generators; however, contracts with two of these generators expired in 2015, leaving three non-utility generators with an aggregate summer generation capacity of approximately 418 MW. These contracts contain certain variable pricing mechanisms in the form of partial fuel reimbursement that Virginia Power considers to be variable interests. After an evaluation of the information provided by these entities, Virginia Power was unable to determine whether they were VIEs. However, the information they provided, as well as Virginia Power's knowledge of generation facilities in Virginia, enabled Virginia Power to conclude that, if they were VIEs, it would not be the primary beneficiary. This conclusion reflects Virginia Power's determination that its variable interests do not convey the power to direct the most significant activities that impact the economic performance of the entities during the remaining terms of Virginia Power's contracts and for the years the entities are expected to operate after its contractual relationships expire. The contracts expire at various dates ranging from 2017 to 2021. Virginia Power is not subject to any risk of loss from these potential VIEs other than its remaining purchase commitments which totaled $320 million as of September 30, 2016. Virginia Power paid $37 million and $52 million for electric capacity and $11 million and $17 million for electric energy to these entities in the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Virginia Power paid $111 million and $160 million for electric capacity and $23 million and $77 million for electric energy to these entities in the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Dominion Gas DTI has been engaged to oversee the construction of, and to subsequently operate and maintain, the projects undertaken by Atlantic Coast Pipeline based on the overall direction and oversight of Atlantic Coast Pipeline's members. An affiliate of DTI holds a membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline, therefore DTI is considered to have a variable interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The members of Atlantic Coast Pipeline hold the power to direct the construction, operations and maintenance activities of the entity. DTI has concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance. DTI has no obligation to absorb any losses of the VIE. See Note 17 for information about associated related party receivable balances. Virginia Power and Dominion Gas Virginia Power and Dominion Gas purchased shared services from DRS, an affiliated VIE, of $80 million and $31 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, $73 million and $27 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, $268 million and $95 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and $239 million and $85 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. Virginia Power and Dominion Gas determined that neither is the primary beneficiary of DRS as neither has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact its economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to it. DRS provides accounting, legal, finance and certain administrative and technical services to all Dominion subsidiaries, including Virginia Power and Dominion Gas. Virginia Power and Dominion Gas have no obligation to absorb more than their allocated shares of DRS costs.

Variable Interest Entities

The primary beneficiary of a VIE is required to consolidate the VIE and to disclose certain information about its significant variable interests in the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that has both: 1) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity's economic performance and 2) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Dominion

As of September 30, 2016, Dominion owns the general partner interest and 65.0% of the limited partnership interests in Dominion Midstream, which owns a preferred equity interest and the general partner interest in Cove Point. Additionally, Dominion owns the manager and 67% of the membership interest in certain merchant solar facilities, as discussed in Note 2. Dominion has concluded that these entities are VIEs due to the limited partners or members lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion is the primary beneficiary of Dominion Midstream and the merchant solar facilities, and Dominion Midstream is the primary beneficiary of Cove Point, as they have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to them.

Dominion owns a 48% membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Atlantic Coast Pipeline is focused on constructing an approximately 600-mile natural gas pipeline running from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina, which is expected to be in service in the second half of 2019. See Note 9 to the Companies' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 for more details regarding the nature of this entity. Dominion concluded that Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a VIE because it has insufficient equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. Dominion has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance, as the power to direct is shared among multiple unrelated parties. Dominion is obligated to provide capital contributions based on its ownership percentage. Dominion's maximum exposure to loss is limited to its current and future investment.

Dominion and Virginia Power

Dominion and Virginia Power’s nuclear decommissioning trust funds and Dominion’s rabbi trusts hold investments in limited partnerships or similar type entities (see Note 10 for further details). Dominion and Virginia Power concluded that these partnership investments are VIEs due to the limited partners lacking the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. Dominion and Virginia Power have concluded neither is the primary beneficiary as they do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact these VIEs’ economic performance. Dominion and Virginia Power are obligated to provide capital contributions to the partnerships as required by each partnership agreement based on their ownership percentages. Dominion and Virginia Power’s maximum exposure to loss is limited to their current and future investments.

Dominion and Dominion Gas

Dominion previously concluded that Iroquois was a VIE because a non-affiliated Iroquois equity holder had the ability during a limited period of time to transfer its ownership interests to another Iroquois equity holder or its affiliate. At the end of the first quarter of 2016, such right no longer existed and, as a result, Dominion concluded that Iroquois is no longer a VIE.

Virginia Power

Virginia Power had long-term power and capacity contracts with five non-utility generators; however, contracts with two of these generators expired in 2015, leaving three non-utility generators with an aggregate summer generation capacity of approximately 418 MW. These contracts contain certain variable pricing mechanisms in the form of partial fuel reimbursement that Virginia Power considers to be variable interests. After an evaluation of the information provided by these entities, Virginia Power was unable to determine whether they were VIEs. However, the information they provided, as well as Virginia Power's knowledge of generation facilities in Virginia, enabled Virginia Power to conclude that, if they were VIEs, it would not be the primary beneficiary. This conclusion reflects Virginia Power's determination that its variable interests do not convey the power to direct the most significant activities that impact the economic performance of the entities during the remaining terms of Virginia Power's contracts and for the years the entities are expected to operate after its contractual relationships expire. The contracts expire at various dates ranging from 2017 to 2021. Virginia Power is not subject to any risk of loss from these potential VIEs other than its remaining purchase commitments which totaled $320 million as of September 30, 2016. Virginia Power paid $37 million and $52 million for electric capacity and $11 million and $17 million for electric energy to these entities in the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Virginia Power paid $111 million and $160 million for electric capacity and $23 million and $77 million for electric energy to these entities in the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Dominion Gas

DTI has been engaged to oversee the construction of, and to subsequently operate and maintain, the projects undertaken by Atlantic Coast Pipeline based on the overall direction and oversight of Atlantic Coast Pipeline's members. An affiliate of DTI holds a membership interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline, therefore DTI is considered to have a variable interest in Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The members of Atlantic Coast Pipeline hold the power to direct the construction, operations and maintenance activities of the entity. DTI has concluded it is not the primary beneficiary of Atlantic Coast Pipeline as it does not have the power to direct the activities of Atlantic Coast Pipeline that most significantly impact its economic performance. DTI has no obligation to absorb any losses of the VIE. See Note 17 for information about associated related party receivable balances.

Virginia Power and Dominion Gas

Virginia Power and Dominion Gas purchased shared services from DRS, an affiliated VIE, of $80 million and $31 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, $73 million and $27 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, $268 million and $95 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and $239 million and $85 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, respectively. Virginia Power and Dominion Gas determined that neither is the primary beneficiary of DRS as neither has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact its economic performance as well as the obligation to absorb losses and benefits which could be significant to it. DRS provides accounting, legal, finance and certain administrative and technical services to all Dominion subsidiaries, including Virginia Power and Dominion Gas. Virginia Power and Dominion Gas have no obligation to absorb more than their allocated shares of DRS costs.