Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019	Apr. 20, 2020	Jun. 28, 2019
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K/A
Amendment Flag	true
Amendment Description	This Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this “Amendment No. 1”) amends the Annual Report on Form 10-K of El Paso Electric Company (the “Company”) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 that was originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 27, 2020 (the “Original Form 10-K”). The Company is filing this Amendment solely to include Part III information that had been omitted from the Original Form 10-K in reliance on General Instruction G(3) to Form 10-K. All references to the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in the Original Form 10-K as a document incorporated by reference are hereby deleted. This Amendment No. 1 consists solely of the preceding cover page, this explanatory note, the information required by Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Form 10-K, a signature page and certifications required to be filed as exhibits hereto. In accordance with Rule 12b-15 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the Original Form 10-K have been amended and restated in their entirety, and Item 15 of Part IV of the Original Form 10-K has also been amended and restated in its entirety to include new certifications by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer. No other items or sub-items of the Original Form 10-K are being amended or restated by this Amendment No. 1. This Amendment No. 1 does not reflect events occurring after the filing of the Original Form 10-K and does not modify or update the disclosures in any way other than as required to reflect the amendments as described above and set forth herein. Accordingly, this Amendment No. 1 should be read in conjunction with the Original Form 10-K and with the Company’s filings with the SEC subsequent to the Original Form 10-K. The section of this Amendment No. 1 entitled “Report of the Compensation Committee” is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC under or pursuant to Section 18 of the Exchange Act or subject to Regulation 14A thereunder, and shall not be incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under either the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, unless otherwise specifically provided for in such filing.
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Transition Report	false
Entity Registrant Name	EL PASO ELECTRIC CO /TX/
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	TX
Entity File Number	001-14206
Entity Tax Identification Number	74-0607870
Entity Address, Address Line One	100 NORTH STANTON
Entity Address, City or Town	EL PASO
Entity Address, State or Province	TX
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	79901
City Area Code	915
Local Phone Number	543-5711
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Public Float			$ 2,636,107,949
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		40,787,627
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Entity Central Index Key	0000031978
Document Annual Report	true
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, No Par Value
Trading Symbol	EE
Security Exchange Name	NYSE