Financing Activities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								3 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended							3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2013 Notes Payable Six [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Long-term Debt [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 AEP Subsidiaries [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Subsidiaries [Member] Notes Payable One [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Subsidiaries [Member] Notes Payable Two [Member]	Apr. 26, 2013 AEP Generating Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes One [Member] Repayment Of Debt [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Texas Central Co [Member] Securitization Bonds Four [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Texas Central Co [Member] Securitization Bonds Five [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Texas North Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes One [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Texas North Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes Two [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Texas North Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes Three [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Appalachian Power Co [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Appalachian Power Co [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Appalachian Power Co [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Appalachian Power Co [Member] Land Note [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member]	Apr. 26, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Notes Payable One [Member] Repayment Of Debt [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Notes Payable Three [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Notes Payable Four [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Notes Payable Five [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Notes Payable Six [Member]	Apr. 26, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Pollution Control Bonds One [Member] Repayment Of Debt [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes One [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] Long Term Debt Two [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Ohio Power Co [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Ohio Power Co [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Ohio Power Co [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Ohio Power Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes One [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Ohio Power Co [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes Two [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Ohio Power Co [Member] Long-term Debt [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 Public Service Co Of Oklahoma [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Public Service Co Of Oklahoma [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Public Service Co Of Oklahoma [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Public Service Co Of Oklahoma [Member] Notes Payable Two [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member]		Mar. 31, 2012 Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] Notes Payable Two [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 AEP Transmission Company, LLC [Member] Senior Unsecured Notes One [Member]
Long-term Debt
Senior Unsecured Notes	$ 12,462,000,000			$ 12,712,000,000
Pollution Control Bonds	1,958,000,000			1,958,000,000
Notes Payable	398,000,000			427,000,000
Securitization Bonds	2,176,000,000			2,281,000,000
Spent Nuclear Fuel Obligation	265,000,000	[1]		265,000,000	[1]
Other Long-term Debt	341,000,000			140,000,000
Fair Value of Interest Rate Hedges	1,000,000			3,000,000
Unamortized Discount, Net	(28,000,000)			(29,000,000)
Total Long-term Debt Outstanding	17,573,000,000			17,757,000,000															3,702,599,000		3,702,442,000		2,282,580,000		2,057,666,000										3,560,628,000		3,860,440,000					949,856,000		949,871,000		2,044,692,000			2,046,228,000
Long-term Debt Due Within One Year	1,674,000,000			2,171,000,000					365,000,000	367,000,000									574,679,000		574,679,000		197,066,000		203,953,000										581,000,000		856,000,000					405,000		764,000		3,250,000			3,250,000
Long-term Debt	15,899,000,000			15,586,000,000					2,098,000,000	2,227,000,000									3,127,920,000		3,127,763,000		2,085,514,000		1,853,713,000										2,579,628,000		2,804,440,000					949,451,000		949,107,000		2,041,442,000			2,042,978,000
Long-term Debt and Other Securities Issued, Retired and Principal Payments Made
Issuances	675,000,000	[2]					200,000,000	[3]								125,000,000	75,000,000															250,000,000	[4]							200,000,000	[4],[5]											25,000,000
Retirements and Principal Payments	858,000,000		339,000,000								1,000,000	1,000,000	4,000,000	67,000,000	38,000,000			225,000,000	7,000	49,506,000		7,000	24,864,000	16,074,000		28,000,000	4,040,000	5,953,000	4,123,000	10,542,000	40,000,000			206,000	500,000,000	150,000,000		250,000,000	250,000,000			99,000	0		99,000	1,625,000		20,000,000			1,625,000
Interest Rate (Percentage)													6.33%	4.98%	5.96%	3.09%	4.48%	5.50%				13.718%							2.12%		5.25%	3.20%		6.00%				5.50%	5.50%						3.00%						4.58%	4.83%
Interest Rate (Variable)						Variable					Variable																Variable	Variable		Variable										Variable
Due Date						2015					2017	2026	2037	2013	2013	2023	2043	2013				2026					2015	2016	2016	2016	2025	2023		2025				2013	2013	2015					2027						2032	2043
Long- term Debt by Type of Debt and Maturity
Interest Rate (Minimum)												7.59%
Interest Rate (Maximum)												8.03%
Utility Money Pool Participants' Money Pool Activity and Authorized Borrowing Limits
Maximum Borrowings from Utility Money Pool																			217,174,000				23,135,000												410,456,000							24,004,000				0
Maximum Loans to Utility Money Pool																			23,509,000				337,330,000												169,284,000							25,343,000				153,830,000
Average Borrowings from Utility Money Pool																			114,102,000				8,308,000												207,014,000							11,929,000				0
Average Loans to Utility Money Pool																			23,313,000				99,150,000												53,482,000							11,527,000				78,892,000
Net Loans (Borrowings) to/from Utility Money Pool																			(73,448,000)				321,985,000												(161,869,000)							(24,004,000)				26,885,000
Authorized Short-term Borrowing Limit																			600,000,000				500,000,000												600,000,000							300,000,000				350,000,000
Maximum and Minimum Interest Rates
Maximum Interest Rate																			0.43%	0.56%			0.43%	0.56%											0.43%	0.56%						0.43%	0.56%			0.43%		0.56%
Minimum Interest Rate																			0.35%	0.45%			0.35%	0.45%											0.35%	0.45%						0.35%	0.45%			0.35%		0.45%
Average Interest Rates for Funds Borrowed from and Loaned to Utility Money Pool
Average Interest Rate for Funds Borrowed																			0.38%	0.51%			0.36%	0.00%											0.36%	0.47%						0.36%	0.00%			0.00%		0.53%
Average Interest Rate for Funds Loaned																			0.37%	0.51%			0.37%	0.51%											0.37%	0.52%						0.38%	0.51%			0.38%		0.51%
Short-term Debt:
Securitized Debt for Receivables	646,000,000	[6]		657,000,000	[6]
Commercial Paper	661,000,000			321,000,000
Line of Credit - Sabine	0	[7]		3,000,000	[7]																																									0			2,603,000
Total Short-term Debt	1,307,000,000			981,000,000
Securitized Debt for Receivables	0.23%	[8]		0.26%	[8]
Commercial Paper	0.36%	[8]		0.42%	[8]
Line of Credit - Sabine	0.00%	[8]		1.82%	[8]																																									0.00%	[8]		1.82%	[8]
Comparative Accounts Receivable Information
Effective Interest Rates on Securitization of Accounts Receivable	0.23%		0.26%
Net Uncollectible Accounts Receivable Written Off	7,000,000		8,000,000
Customer Accounts Receivable Managed Portfolio
Accounts Receivable Retained Interest and Pledged as Collateral Less Uncollectible Accounts	863,000,000			835,000,000
Total Principal Outstanding	646,000,000			657,000,000
Delinquent Securitized Accounts Receivable	38,000,000			37,000,000
Bad Debt Reserves Related to Securitization, Sale of Accounts Receivable	21,000,000			21,000,000
Unbilled Receivables Related to Securitization, Sale of Accounts Receivable	256,000,000			316,000,000
Accounts Receivable and Accrued Unbilled Revenues
Accounts Receivable and Accrued Unbilled Revenues																			163,474,000		153,719,000		134,377,000		123,447,000										319,682,000		300,675,000					84,456,000		85,530,000		121,202,000			132,449,000
Fees Paid to AEP Credit for Customer Accounts Receivable Sold
Fees Paid to AEP Credit for Customer Accounts Receivable Sold																			1,556,000	2,130,000			1,452,000	1,543,000											4,669,000	5,916,000						1,414,000	1,732,000			1,380,000		1,386,000
Proceeds from Sale of Receivables
Proceeds from Sale of Receivables to AEP Credit																			398,193,000	346,526,000			351,830,000	339,581,000											696,958,000	837,897,000						240,275,000	272,795,000			331,936,000		321,608,000
Financing Activities (Textuals) [Abstract]
Term Credit Facility	1,000,000,000
Reacquired Pollution Controls Bonds Held by Trustees	533,000,000																																		413,000,000
Maximum Percentage Debt to Capitalization	67.50%																		67.50%				67.50%												67.50%
Trust Fund Assets One Time Fee Obligation for Nuclear Fuel Disposition	$ 309,000,000			$ 308,000,000

[1] Pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, I&M, a nuclear licensee, has an obligation to the United States Department of Energy for spent nuclear fuel disposal. The obligation includes a one-time fee for nuclear fuel consumed prior to April 7, 1983. Trust fund assets related to this obligation were $309 million and $308 million as of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and are included in Spent Nuclear Fuel and Decommissioning Trusts on our condensed balance sheets.

[2] Amount indicated on the statement of cash flows is net of issuance costs and premium or discount and will not tie to the total issuances.

[3] Draw on a $1 billion term credit facility due in May 2015 to fund certain OPCo maturities on an interim basis and to facilitate the corporate separation of generation assets from transmission and distribution.

[4] Amounts indicated on the statements of cash flows are net of issuance costs and premium or discount and will not tie to the issuance amounts.

[5] Intercompany issuance from AEP consisting of a draw on a $1 billion term credit facility due in May 2015 to fund certain OPCo maturities on an interim basis and to facilitate the corporate separation of generation assets from transmission and distribution.

[6] Amount of securitized debt for receivables as accounted for under the ''Transfers and Servicing'' accounting guidance.

[7] This line of credit does not reduce available liquidity under AEP's credit facilities.

[8] Weighted average rate.