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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Sep. 30, 2010
Sep. 30, 2011
Sep. 30, 2010
Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense    
Federal income tax on Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes at statutory tax rate - 35%$ 196,000,000$ 114,000,000$ 518,000,000$ 277,000,000
Federal Statutory Tax Rate (in hundredths)35.00%35.00%35.00%35.00%
Increase (decrease) due to:    
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit8,000,00017,000,00047,000,00032,000,000
State valuation allowance adjustments  11,000,000[1](8,000,000)
Impact of lower U.K. income tax rates(12,000,000)(8,000,000)(31,000,000)(15,000,000)
U.S. income tax on foreign earnings - net of foreign tax credit(10,000,000)[2](8,000,000)(25,000,000)[2](14,000,000)
Federal and state tax reserve adjustments4,000,000(52,000,000)[3]1,000,000(59,000,000)[3]
Foreign tax reserve adjustments2,000,00024,000,000[4]2,000,00046,000,000[4]
Domestic manufacturing deduction0[5](12,000,000)0[5](24,000,000)
Health Care Reform0008,000,000[6]
Foreign losses resulting from restructuring0(27,000,000)[4]0(52,000,000)[4]
Enactment of U.K.'s Finance Act of 2010 and 2011(69,000,000)[7](19,000,000)[7](69,000,000)[7](19,000,000)[7]
Federal income tax credits(4,000,000)(4,000,000)(11,000,000)(8,000,000)
Amortization of investment tax credit(2,000,000)0(6,000,000)(2,000,000)
Depreciation not normalized(1,000,000)(1,000,000)(7,000,000)[1](1,000,000)
Nondeductible acquisition-related costs1,000,000[8]09,000,000[8]0
Other(3,000,000)(5,000,000)(10,000,000)(9,000,000)
Total increase (decrease)(86,000,000)(95,000,000)(89,000,000)(125,000,000)
Total income taxes from continuing operations110,000,00019,000,000429,000,000152,000,000
Bonus depreciation percentage (in hundreths)  100.00% 
Deferred tax expense recorded due to state clarification on treatment of bonus depreciation  11,000,000 
U.K. statutory income tax rate in effect during period prior to a change  27.00%28.00%
U.K. Statutory income tax rate reduction  26.00% 
Tax benefit recorded due to U.K. pension contributions(7,000,000) (21,000,000) 
U.K. Statutory income tax rate reduction for next year  25.00% 
Tax reserve on losses generated by restructuring 24,000,000 46,000,000
(Benefit) from favorable U.S. Tax Court decision on deductibility of U.K. windfall profit tax 42,000,000 42,000,000
(Benefit) from favorable U.S. Tax Court decision on depreciable useful lives of street lighting 7,000,000 7,000,000
Foreign tax (benefit) from tax dispute included in change in foreign tax reserves 27,000,000 52,000,000
Change in Accounting Estimate (Numeric) [Abstract]    
(Decrease) to income tax expense from change in accounting estimate that impacts annual effective tax rate(18,000,000) (18,000,000) 
(Decrease) to income tax expense from change in accounting estimate that impacts annual effective tax rate - per share$ (0.03) $ (0.03) 
Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Rollforward]    
Beginning of period250,000,000224,000,000251,000,000212,000,000
Additions based on tax positions of prior years1,000,00002,000,0004,000,000
Reductions based on tax positions of prior years(14,000,000)(50,000,000)(14,000,000)(56,000,000)
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year4,000,00013,000,0004,000,00043,000,000
Reductions based on tax positions related to the current year(1,000,000)(1,000,000)(3,000,000)(6,000,000)
Settlements0(11,000,000)0(12,000,000)
Lapse of applicable statutes of limitations(3,000,000)(2,000,000)(8,000,000)(6,000,000)
Effects of foreign currency translation(2,000,000)5,000,0003,000,000(1,000,000)
End of period235,000,000[9]178,000,000235,000,000[9]178,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits - Foreign Capital Losses (Numeric) [Abstract]    
U.K. capital losses included in unrecognized tax benefits to be reversed in next quarter146,000,000 146,000,000 
Unrecognized Tax Benefits - Probable Increase (Decrease) Next 12 Months (Numeric) [Abstract]    
Total amount unrecognized tax benefits may increase in next 12 months23,000,000 23,000,000 
Total amount unrecognized tax benefits may decrease in next 12 months216,000,000 216,000,000 
Total unrecognized tax benefits and related indirect effects that, if recognized, would decrease the effective tax rate$ 172,000,000$ 116,000,000$ 172,000,000$ 116,000,000
[1]In February 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued interpretive guidance on the treatment of bonus depreciation for Pennsylvania income tax purposes. In accordance with Corporation Tax Bulletin 2011-01, Pennsylvania allows 100% bonus depreciation for qualifying assets in the same year bonus depreciation is allowed for federal income tax purposes. Due to the reduction in projected Pennsylvania taxable income for tax years 2011 and 2012 related to the 100% bonus depreciation deduction, PPL adjusted its deferred tax valuation allowances for Pennsylvania net operating losses by $11 million in the first quarter of 2011.         Additionally, the 100% Pennsylvania bonus depreciation deduction created a current state income tax benefit for the flow-through impact of Pennsylvania regulated state tax depreciation.
[2]During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, PPL recorded a $7 million and $21 million federal income tax benefit related to U.K. pension contributions.
[3]In 1997, the U.K. imposed a Windfall Profits Tax on privatized utilities, including WPD. In September 2010, the U.S. Tax Court ruled in PPL's favor in a pending dispute with the IRS, concluding that the U.K. Windfall Profits Tax is a creditable tax for U.S. tax purposes. As a result and with the finalization of other issues, PPL recorded a $42 million tax benefit which impacted federal and state income tax reserves and related deferred income taxes during the third quarter of 2010. In January 2011, the IRS appealed the U.S. Tax Court's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.         In July 2010, the U.S. Tax Court ruled in PPL's favor in a pending dispute with the IRS, concluding that street lighting assets of PPL Electric are depreciable for tax purposes over seven years. As a result, PPL recorded a $7 million tax benefit to federal and state income tax reserves and related deferred income taxes in the third quarter of 2010.         See "Tax Litigation" below for additional information.
[4]During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, PPL recorded $27 million and $52 million in foreign tax benefits and related adjustments to foreign tax reserves of $24 and $46 million in conjunction with losses resulting from restructuring in the U.K. These losses offset tax on a deferred gain from a prior year sale of WPD’s supply business.
[5]In December 2010, Congress enacted legislation allowing for 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property. The increased tax depreciation eliminates the estimated tax benefit related to the domestic manufacturing deduction in 2011.
[6]Beginning in 2013, provisions within Health Care Reform eliminated the income tax deductibility of retiree health care costs to the extent of federal subsidies received by plan sponsors that provide retiree prescription drug benefits equivalent to Medicare Part D Coverage. As a result, PPL recorded deferred income tax expense in the first quarter of 2010. See Note 9 for additional information.
[7]The U.K.'s Finance Act of 2011, enacted in July 2011, included reductions in the U.K. statutory income tax rate. The statutory income tax rate was reduced from 27% to 26% retroactive to April 1, 2011 and will be reduced from 26% to 25% effective April 1, 2012. As a result, PPL reduced its net deferred tax liabilities and recognized a deferred tax benefit in the third quarter of 2011 to comprehend both rate decreases.         The U.K.'s Finance Act of 2010, enacted in July 2010, included a reduction in the U.K. statutory income tax rate. Effective April 1, 2011, the statutory income tax rate was reduced from 28% to 27%. As a result, PPL reduced its net deferred tax liabilities and recognized a deferred tax benefit in the third quarter of 2010.
[8]During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, PPL recorded nondeductible acquisition-related costs (primarily the U.K. stamp duty tax) associated with its acquisition of WPD Midlands. See Note 8 for additional information on the acquisition.
[9]Unrecognized tax benefits at September 30, 2011 include $146 million of U.K. capital losses related to positions previously recorded on U.K. income tax returns. In October 2011, the U.K. tax authority accepted these capital loss positions. As a result, in the fourth quarter of 2011, PPL expects to reverse this unrecognized tax benefit and expects to record a valuation allowance for this amount against the deferred tax asset that results from an increase in capital loss carry forwards.