ETE Merger	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]
ETE Merger	3. ETE Merger On July 19, 2011, Southern Union entered into a Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger with ETE and Sigma Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETE (Merger Sub) (as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of September 14, 2011, the Second Amended Merger Agreement). The Second Amended Merger Agreement modifies certain terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into by Southern Union, ETE and Merger Sub on June 15, 2011 as amended on July 4, 2011. The Second Amended Merger Agreement provides for the merger of Merger Sub with and into Southern Union (Merger), with Southern Union continuing as the surviving corporation in the Merger. As a result of the Merger, Southern Union will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETE. Under the terms of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, Company shareholders can elect to exchange each issued and outstanding share of Company common stock for $44.25 of cash or 1.00x ETE common unit, with no more than 60 percent of the aggregate merger consideration payable in cash and no more than 50 percent payable in ETE common units. Elections in excess of either the cash or common unit limits will be subject to proration. On February 17, 2012, the parties mailed merger consideration election forms to Southern Union shareholders of record as of February 10, 2012 and announced that the election deadline for Southern Union stockholders to make merger consideration elections is expected to be 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 19, 2012 (or such other later date as ETE and Southern Union shall agree). The Second Amended Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for Southern Union and ETE. In certain circumstances, upon termination of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, Southern Union or ETE, as applicable: (i) will be required to pay a termination fee of $181.3 million to the other and (ii) may be obligated to pay the other's Merger costs and expenses in an amount not to exceed $54 million. In addition, ETE and ETP are parties to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of July 19, 2011 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of September 14, 2011) (Citrus Merger Agreement). The Citrus Merger Agreement provides that Southern Union, CrossCountry Energy, LLC (CrossCountry), PEPL Holdings, LLC (PEPL Holdings) and Citrus ETP Acquisition, L.L.C. (Citrus ETP) will become parties by joinder at a time immediately prior to the closing of the Merger. Upon becoming a party to the Citrus Merger Agreement, Southern Union will assume the obligations and rights of ETE. Under the Citrus Merger Agreement, CrossCountry, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union that indirectly owns a 50 percent interest in Citrus, will be merged with and into Citrus ETP with CrossCountry surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETP (Citrus Merger). Immediately prior to the Citrus Merger and in connection with ETP's financing of the Citrus Merger consideration, Southern Union will contribute its ninety-nine percent interest in PEPL and its 100 percent membership interest in Southern Union Panhandle, LLC to PEPL Holdings. PEPL Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCE Acquisition, LLC. PEPL Holdings will guarantee payment, on a contingent recourse basis, of up to $2.0 billion of indebtedness of ETP related to the Citrus Merger (or, in the alternative, will indemnify a subsidiary of ETP for payments made by such subsidiary with respect to a guarantee of up to $2.0 billion of indebtedness of ETP by such subsidiary). The guarantee will be non-recourse to Southern Union. As consideration for the Citrus Merger, Southern Union will receive from ETP approximately $2.0 billion, consisting of $1.895 billion in cash and $105 million of ETP common units, with the value of the ETP common units based on the volume-weighted average trading price for the ten consecutive trading days ending immediately prior to the date that is three trading days prior to the closing date of the Citrus Merger. After completion of the Citrus Merger, including receipt of the Citrus Merger consideration, Southern Union will contribute an amount not to exceed $1.45 billion from the Citrus Merger to Merger Sub in exchange for an equity interest in Merger Sub. The remaining cash proceeds of approximately $445 million in cash would be used to retire existing Company debt. It is further anticipated that Southern Union or one of its subsidiaries would retain the approximately $105 million of ETP units as an investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. The consummation of the Citrus Merger is not a condition to consummation of the Merger. While consummation of the Merger is subject to certain customary conditions, the parties have already satisfied a number of conditions, including without limitation: (i) the receipt of stockholder approval, which occurred on December 9, 2011, (ii) the expiration of the waiting period applicable to the merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, which expiration occurred on July 28, 2011, and (iii) the effectiveness, on October 27, 2011 of ETE's Registration Statement on Form S-4 relating to the ETE common units to be issued in connection with the Merger. Southern Union and ETE are also continuing to proceed with the regulatory approval process before the MPSC. Pursuant to a joint application filed by Southern Union and ETE on July 13, 2011 and amended on September 15, 2011, the parties requested an order from the MPSC authorizing Southern Union to take certain actions to allow ETE to acquire the equity interests of Southern Union, including its subsidiaries. On February 16, 2012, the parties filed with the MPSC a Non-Unanimous Stipulation and Agreement (the Stipulation) among Southern Union, ETE and the MPSC Staff. Pursuant to the Stipulation, the parties recommend that the MPSC issue an order finding that, subject to the conditions therein, the merger of Merger Sub with and into Southern Union is not detrimental to the public interest and authorizing the undertaking of the Merger and related transactions. The Office of Public Counsel has indicated that it does not oppose the Stipulation. Southern Union and ETE have requested that the MPSC consider the Stipulation expeditiously. The Merger is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012, subject to receipt of MPSC approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions.

ETE Merger

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes to Financial Statements [Abstract]

3. ETE Merger

On July 19, 2011, Southern Union entered into a Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger with ETE and Sigma Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETE (Merger Sub) (as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Second Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of September 14, 2011, the Second Amended Merger Agreement). The Second Amended Merger Agreement modifies certain terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into by Southern Union, ETE and Merger Sub on June 15, 2011 as amended on July 4, 2011. The Second Amended Merger Agreement provides for the merger of Merger Sub with and into Southern Union (Merger), with Southern Union continuing as the surviving corporation in the Merger. As a result of the Merger, Southern Union will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETE. Under the terms of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, Company shareholders can elect to exchange each issued and outstanding share of Company common stock for $44.25 of cash or 1.00x ETE common unit, with no more than 60 percent of the aggregate merger consideration payable in cash and no more than 50 percent payable in ETE common units. Elections in excess of either the cash or common unit limits will be subject to proration. On February 17, 2012, the parties mailed merger consideration election forms to Southern Union shareholders of record as of February 10, 2012 and announced that the election deadline for Southern Union stockholders to make merger consideration elections is expected to be 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 19, 2012 (or such other later date as ETE and Southern Union shall agree).

The Second Amended Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for Southern Union and ETE. In certain circumstances, upon termination of the Second Amended Merger Agreement, Southern Union or ETE, as applicable: (i) will be required to pay a termination fee of $181.3 million to the other and (ii) may be obligated to pay the other's Merger costs and expenses in an amount not to exceed $54 million.

In addition, ETE and ETP are parties to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of July 19, 2011 (as amended by Amendment No. 1 to Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of September 14, 2011) (Citrus Merger Agreement). The Citrus Merger Agreement provides that Southern Union, CrossCountry Energy, LLC (CrossCountry), PEPL Holdings, LLC (PEPL Holdings) and Citrus ETP Acquisition, L.L.C. (Citrus ETP) will become parties by joinder at a time immediately prior to the closing of the Merger. Upon becoming a party to the Citrus Merger Agreement, Southern Union will assume the obligations and rights of ETE. Under the Citrus Merger Agreement, CrossCountry, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Union that indirectly owns a 50 percent interest in Citrus, will be merged with and into Citrus ETP with CrossCountry surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETP (Citrus Merger).

Immediately prior to the Citrus Merger and in connection with ETP's financing of the Citrus Merger consideration, Southern Union will contribute its ninety-nine percent interest in PEPL and its 100 percent membership interest in Southern Union Panhandle, LLC to PEPL Holdings. PEPL Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CCE Acquisition, LLC. PEPL Holdings will guarantee payment, on a contingent recourse basis, of up to $2.0 billion of indebtedness of ETP related to the Citrus Merger (or, in the alternative, will indemnify a subsidiary of ETP for payments made by such subsidiary with respect to a guarantee of up to $2.0 billion of indebtedness of ETP by such subsidiary). The guarantee will be non-recourse to Southern Union.

As consideration for the Citrus Merger, Southern Union will receive from ETP approximately $2.0 billion, consisting of $1.895 billion in cash and $105 million of ETP common units, with the value of the ETP common units based on the volume-weighted average trading price for the ten consecutive trading days ending immediately prior to the date that is three trading days prior to the closing date of the Citrus Merger. After completion of the Citrus Merger, including receipt of the Citrus Merger consideration, Southern Union will contribute an amount not to exceed $1.45 billion from the Citrus Merger to Merger Sub in exchange for an equity interest in Merger Sub. The remaining cash proceeds of approximately $445 million in cash would be used to retire existing Company debt. It is further anticipated that Southern Union or one of its subsidiaries would retain the approximately $105 million of ETP units as an investment in an unconsolidated affiliate. The consummation of the Citrus Merger is not a condition to consummation of the Merger.

While consummation of the Merger is subject to certain customary conditions, the parties have already satisfied a number of conditions, including without limitation: (i) the receipt of stockholder approval, which occurred on December 9, 2011, (ii) the expiration of the waiting period applicable to the merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, which expiration occurred on July 28, 2011, and (iii) the effectiveness, on October 27, 2011 of ETE's Registration Statement on Form S-4 relating to the ETE common units to be issued in connection with the Merger.

Southern Union and ETE are also continuing to proceed with the regulatory approval process before the MPSC. Pursuant to a joint application filed by Southern Union and ETE on July 13, 2011 and amended on September 15, 2011, the parties requested an order from the MPSC authorizing Southern Union to take certain actions to allow ETE to acquire the equity interests of Southern Union, including its subsidiaries. On February 16, 2012, the parties filed with the MPSC a Non-Unanimous Stipulation and Agreement (the Stipulation) among Southern Union, ETE and the MPSC Staff. Pursuant to the Stipulation, the parties recommend that the MPSC issue an order finding that, subject to the conditions therein, the merger of Merger Sub with and into Southern Union is not detrimental to the public interest and authorizing the undertaking of the Merger and related transactions. The Office of Public Counsel has indicated that it does not oppose the Stipulation. Southern Union and ETE have requested that the MPSC consider the Stipulation expeditiously.

The Merger is expected to close in the first quarter of 2012, subject to receipt of MPSC approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions.