Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Natural Gas Supply Commitments [Member]
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation Payment Schedule [Abstract]
2016	$ 190
2017	473
2018	456
2019	270
2020	132
After 2020	127
Minnesota Service Territory [Member]
LegalEnvironmentalAndOtherRegulatoryMattersLegalMattersGasMarketManipulationCasesAbstract
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies	7
Minnesota Service Territory [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
LegalEnvironmentalAndOtherRegulatoryMattersLegalMattersGasMarketManipulationCasesAbstract
Estimated remediation costs for the Minnesota sites	$ 30
Site Contingency, Years to Resolve Contingency	50 years
Minnesota Service Territory [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
LegalEnvironmentalAndOtherRegulatoryMattersLegalMattersGasMarketManipulationCasesAbstract
Estimated remediation costs for the Minnesota sites	$ 4
Site Contingency, Years to Resolve Contingency	30 years
GenOn Demand Charges Transportation Contracts [Member]
LegalEnvironmentalAndOtherRegulatoryMattersLegalMattersGasMarketManipulationCasesAbstract
Guarantee of Affiliate Senior Notes	$ 20
Enable Guaranteed Senior Notes [Member]
LegalEnvironmentalAndOtherRegulatoryMattersLegalMattersGasMarketManipulationCasesAbstract
Guarantee of Affiliate Senior Notes	$ 1,100

No definition available.

Name:	cerc_Legalenvironmentalandotherregulatorymatterslegalmattersgasmarketmanipulationcasesabstract
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimate of the reasonably possible loss exposure at an individual site.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_SiteContingencyLossExposure
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This represents the estimated years necessary to resolve the contingency.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cerc_SiteContingencyYearstoResolveContingency
Namespace Prefix:	cerc_
Data Type:	us-types:durationStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total costs accrued as of the balance sheet date for environmental loss contingencies.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6395460&loc=d3e13647-108346

+ Details

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

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Includes, but not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement maturing in the remainder of the fiscal year following the latest fiscal year ended. Includes, but is not limited to, recorded and unrecorded purchase obligations, long-term purchase commitments, and short-term purchase commitments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis=cerc_NaturalGasSupplyCommitmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis=cerc_MinnesotaServiceTerritoryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=cerc_GenOnDemandChargesTransportationContractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis=cerc_EnableGuaranteedSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: