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Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) (Dominion [Member])
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Dominion [Member]
  
Schedule of Depreciation Rates
Dominion's and Virginia Power's depreciation rates on utility property, plant and equipment are as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
2011
2010
2009
(percent)
 
 
 
Dominion
 
 
 
Generation
2.68
2.59
2.62
Transmission
2.26
2.24
2.27
Distribution
3.19
3.20
3.21
Storage
2.64
2.75
2.83
Gas gathering and processing
2.52
2.39
2.18
General and other
4.66
4.60
4.33
 
 
 
 
Virginia Power
 
 
 
Generation
2.68
2.59
2.62
Transmission
2.03
1.94
1.92
Distribution
3.33
3.33
3.33
General and other
4.38
4.28
3.95
Schedule of Estimated Useful Life
Dominion's nonutility property, plant and equipment is depreciated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:
 
Asset
Estimated Useful Lives
Merchant generation-nuclear
29-44 years
Merchant generation-other
27-40 years
General and other
3-25 years