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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]  
Receivables, Policy
Accounts Receivable (PPL and PPL Electric)
 
In accordance with a PUC-approved purchase of accounts receivable program, PPL Electric purchases certain accounts receivable from alternative electricity suppliers at a discount, which reflects a provision for uncollectible accounts. The alternative electricity suppliers have no continuing involvement or interest in the purchased accounts receivable. The purchased accounts receivable are initially recorded at fair value using a market approach based on the purchase price paid and are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy
New Accounting Guidance Adopted (All Registrants)
 
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
 
Effective January 1, 2016, the Registrants adopted accounting guidance to simplify the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded as income tax benefit or expense on the statement of income, eliminates the requirement that excess tax benefits be realized before companies can recognize them and changes the threshold for statutory income tax withholding requirements to qualify for equity classification to the maximum statutory tax rates in the applicable jurisdictions. This guidance also changes the classification of excess tax benefits to an operating activity and employee taxes paid when shares are withheld to satisfy the employer's statutory income tax withholding obligation to a financing activity on the statement of cash flows and allows entities to make a policy election to either estimate forfeitures or recognize them when they occur. The adoption of this guidance had the following impacts:
 
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Using the required prospective method of transition, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, PPL recorded tax benefits of $1 million and $12 million ($0.02 per share), and for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, PPL Electric recorded tax benefits of $7 million, related to excess tax benefits for awards that were exercised and vested for the periods ending September 30, 2016. These amounts were recorded to Income taxes on the Statements of Income and Deferred income taxes on the Balance Sheets. The impact on LKE was not significant.

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PPL elected to use the prospective method of transition for classifying excess tax benefits as an Operating activity on the Statement of Cash Flows. The amounts classified as Financing activities in the prior periods were not significant.

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Upon adoption, using the required modified retrospective method of transition, PPL recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $7 million to increase Earnings reinvested and decrease Deferred income taxes on the Balance Sheet related to prior period unrecognized excess tax benefits.

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PPL has historically presented employee taxes paid for net settled awards as a Financing activity on the Statement of Cash Flows. Therefore, there is no transition impact for this requirement.

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PPL has elected to recognize forfeitures when they occur. Due to past experience of insignificant forfeitures, there is no transition impact of this policy election.
Fair Value Transfer, Policy
Transfers between levels are recognized at end-of-reporting-period values.
Derivatives, Offsetting Fair Value Amounts, Policy
Net derivative positions on the balance sheets are not offset against the right to reclaim cash collateral (a receivable) or the obligation to return cash collateral (a payable) under master netting arrangements.
Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions [Abstract]  
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations, Policy
Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions (PPL)

WPD's functional currency is the GBP, which is the local currency in the U.K. As such, assets and liabilities are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rates on the date of consolidation and related revenues and expenses are generally translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the period included in PPL's results of operations. Adjustments resulting from foreign currency translation are recorded in AOCI.
PPL Electric Utilities Corp [Member]  
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]  
Receivables, Policy
Accounts Receivable (PPL and PPL Electric)
 
In accordance with a PUC-approved purchase of accounts receivable program, PPL Electric purchases certain accounts receivable from alternative electricity suppliers at a discount, which reflects a provision for uncollectible accounts. The alternative electricity suppliers have no continuing involvement or interest in the purchased accounts receivable. The purchased accounts receivable are initially recorded at fair value using a market approach based on the purchase price paid and are classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.