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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]      
2015 $ 5us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent    
2016 4us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears    
2017 3us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears    
2018 2us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears    
2019 1us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears    
2020 and beyond 6us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter    
Total 21us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue    
Total lease expense for all operating leases 9us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense 20us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense 26us-gaap_LeaseAndRentalExpense
GenOn Demand Charges Transportation Contracts [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted 42us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
/ us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis
= cerc_GenOnDemandChargesTransportationContractsMember
   
Enable Guaranteed Senior Notes [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted 1,100us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
/ us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis
= cerc_EnableGuaranteedSeniorNotesMember
   
Minnesota Service Territory [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Site Contingency Number Of Sites 7cerc_SiteContingencyNumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
   
Site Contingency Sites Without Liability 2cerc_SiteContingencySitesWithoutLiability
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
   
Site Contingency Completed Remediation 2cerc_SiteContingencyCompletedRemediation
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
   
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies 7us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
   
Recorded Third-Party Environmental Recoveries, Amount 4us-gaap_RecordedThirdPartyEnvironmentalRecoveriesAmount
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
   
Minnesota Service Territory [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Site Contingency Loss Exposure 5cerc_SiteContingencyLossExposure
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
   
Site Contingency, Estimated Time Frame to Resolve Contingency 30    
Minnesota Service Territory [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Site Contingency Loss Exposure 29cerc_SiteContingencyLossExposure
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
   
Site Contingency, Estimated Time Frame to Resolve Contingency 50    
Gas Market Manipulation Cases [Member]      
Legal, Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters [Abstract]      
Loss Contingency, Pending Claims, Number 1us-gaap_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumber
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= cerc_GasMarketManipulationCasesMember
   
Loss Contingency, Amicus Briefs filed, number 4cerc_LossContingencyAmicusBriefsfilednumber
/ us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis
= cerc_GasMarketManipulationCasesMember
   
Natural Gas Supply Commitments [Member]      
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]      
2015 696us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInNextTwelveMonths
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
   
2016 605us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInSecondYear
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
   
2017 551us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInThirdYear
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
   
2018 507us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInFourthYear
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
   
2019 255us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueInFifthYear
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
   
After 2019 $ 114us-gaap_PurchaseObligationDueAfterFifthYear
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember