Benefit Plans (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Benefit Plans (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2015
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.
Appalachian Power Co [Member]
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member]
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.
Ohio Power Co [Member]
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.
Public Service Co Of Oklahoma [Member]
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member]
Pension And Other Postretirement Plans	AEP sponsors a qualified pension plan and two unfunded nonqualified pension plans. Substantially all AEP employees are covered by the qualified plan or both the qualified and a nonqualified pension plan. AEP also sponsors OPEB plans to provide health and life insurance benefits for retired employees. Due to the Registrant Subsidiaries’ participation in AEP’s benefits plans, the assumptions used by the actuary and the accounting for the plans by each subsidiary are the same. This section details the assumptions that apply to all Registrants and the rate of compensation increase for each Registrant. The Registrants recognize the funded status associated with defined benefit pension and OPEB plans in the balance sheets. Disclosures about the plans are required by the “Compensation – Retirement Benefits” accounting guidance. The Registrants recognize an asset for a plan’s overfunded status or a liability for a plan’s underfunded status, and recognize, as a component of other comprehensive income, the changes in the funded status of the plan that arise during the year that are not recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The Registrants record a regulatory asset instead of other comprehensive income for qualifying benefit costs of regulated operations that for ratemaking purposes are deferred for future recovery. The cumulative funded status adjustment is equal to the remaining unrecognized deferrals for unamortized actuarial losses or gains, prior service costs and transition obligations, such that remaining deferred costs result in an AOCI equity reduction or regulatory asset and deferred gains result in an AOCI equity addition or regulatory liability.

Disclosure of accounting policy for pension and other postretirement benefit plans. This accounting policy may address (1) the types of plans sponsored by the entity, and the benefits provided by each plan (2) groups that participate in (or are covered by) each plan (3) how plan assets, liabilities and expenses are measured, including the use of any actuaries and (4) significant assumptions used by the entity to value plan assets and liabilities and how such assumptions are derived.