Taxes (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Total provision for income taxes	$ 574,000,000	$ 462,000,000	$ 184,000,000
FE
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	1,459,000,000	1,204,000,000	1,056,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	511,000,000	421,000,000	370,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	(11,000,000)	(9,000,000)	(9,000,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	28,000,000	40,000,000	52,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	33,000,000
Manufacturing deduction	16,000,000	0	(13,000,000)
Medicare Part D	36,000,000	17,000,000	14,000,000
Effectively settled tax items	(11,000,000)	(34,000,000)	(217,000,000)
State valuation allowance	(19,000,000)	0	(1,000,000)
Other, net	(9,000,000)	27,000,000	(12,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	574,000,000	462,000,000	184,000,000
FES
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	(70,000,000)	356,000,000	779,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	(25,000,000)	125,000,000	273,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	(4,000,000)	(4,000,000)	(4,000,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	4,000,000	7,000,000	19,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	13,000,000	2,000,000	(11,000,000)
Medicare Part D	4,000,000	1,000,000	7,000,000
Effectively settled tax items	(2,000,000)	(2,000,000)	0
State valuation allowance	2,000,000	2,000,000	3,000,000
Other, net	(3,000,000)	(6,000,000)	(6,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	(11,000,000)	125,000,000	281,000,000
OE
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	206,000,000	233,000,000	181,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	72,000,000	82,000,000	63,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	1,000,000	1,000,000	5,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	3,000,000	(2,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Medicare Part D	6,000,000	2,000,000	(1,000,000)
Effectively settled tax items	(3,000,000)	(9,000,000)	0
State valuation allowance	0	0	0
Other, net	0	5,000,000	(1,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	78,000,000	78,000,000	62,000,000
CEI
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	104,000,000	111,000,000	(50,000,000)
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	36,000,000	39,000,000	(18,000,000)
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	2,000,000	(2,000,000)	2,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	1,000,000	0	1,000,000
Medicare Part D	3,000,000	1,000,000	0
Effectively settled tax items	(3,000,000)	(4,000,000)	0
State valuation allowance	0	0	0
Other, net	(4,000,000)	2,000,000	(4,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	33,852,000	35,127,000	(19,794,000)
TE
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	49,000,000	52,000,000	24,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	17,000,000	18,000,000	8,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	0	0	0
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	(3,000,000)	(1,000,000)	1,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	0	0	(1,000,000)
Medicare Part D	1,000,000	0	0
Effectively settled tax items	(3,000,000)	(3,000,000)	0
State valuation allowance	0	0	0
Other, net	3,000,000	2,000,000	(3,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	14,605,000	15,756,000	5,347,000
JCP&L
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	261,000,000	330,000,000	263,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	91,000,000	116,000,000	92,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	0	0	0
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	18,000,000	24,000,000	18,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	0	0	0
Medicare Part D	6,000,000	4,000,000	2,000,000
Effectively settled tax items	0	0	0
State valuation allowance	0	0	0
Other, net	2,000,000	3,000,000	(7,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	117,000,000	147,000,000	105,000,000
Met-Ed
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	105,000,000	108,000,000	82,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	37,000,000	38,000,000	29,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	0	0	0
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	(2,000,000)	7,000,000	2,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	0	0	0
Medicare Part D	5,000,000	2,000,000	1,000,000
Effectively settled tax items	0	0	0
State valuation allowance	0	0	0
Other, net	(3,000,000)	1,000,000	(3,000,000)
Total provision for income taxes	36,820,000	47,733,000	28,875,000
Penelec
Reconciliation of federal income tax expense at the federal statutory rate to the total provision for income taxes
Book income (loss) before provision for income taxes	93,000,000	110,000,000	89,000,000
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	33,000,000	39,000,000	31,000,000
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from-
Amortization of investment tax credits	0	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	(6,000,000)	4,000,000	4,000,000
State unitary tax adjustments	0
Manufacturing deduction	0	0	0
Medicare Part D	6,000,000	3,000,000	2,000,000
Effectively settled tax items	0	0	0
State valuation allowance	(4,000,000)	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Other, net	1,000,000	2,000,000	5,000,000
Total provision for income taxes	$ 30,098,000	$ 46,340,000	$ 38,508,000