Business Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Revenues from:
External Customers	$ 4,156,000,000		$ 4,333,000,000		$ 11,332,000,000		$ 11,672,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		0
TOTAL REVENUES	4,156,000,000		4,333,000,000		11,332,000,000		11,672,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	488,000,000		657,000,000		1,241,000,000		1,365,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	0		273,000,000		0		273,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	488,000,000		930,000,000		1,241,000,000		1,638,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	57,459,000,000				57,459,000,000				55,670,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	19,326,000,000				19,326,000,000				18,699,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	38,133,000,000				38,133,000,000				36,971,000,000
Total Assets	53,843,000,000				53,843,000,000				52,223,000,000
Utility Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	3,811,000,000		4,044,000,000		10,407,000,000		10,900,000,000
Other Operating Segments	28,000,000		30,000,000		75,000,000		86,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	3,839,000,000		4,074,000,000		10,482,000,000		10,986,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			633,000,000				1,357,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			273,000,000				273,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	471,000,000		906,000,000		1,220,000,000		1,630,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	55,859,000,000				55,859,000,000				54,396,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,986,000,000				18,986,000,000				18,393,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	36,873,000,000				36,873,000,000				36,003,000,000
Total Assets	51,124,000,000				51,124,000,000				50,093,000,000
Transmission Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	3,000,000		0		5,000,000		1,000,000
Other Operating Segments	7,000,000		3,000,000		10,000,000		2,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	10,000,000		3,000,000		15,000,000		3,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			9,000,000				19,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	14,000,000		9,000,000		31,000,000		19,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	604,000,000				604,000,000				323,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	2,000,000				2,000,000				0
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	602,000,000				602,000,000				323,000,000
Total Assets	1,008,000,000				1,008,000,000				594,000,000
Nonutility Operations - AEP River Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	142,000,000		177,000,000		477,000,000		506,000,000
Other Operating Segments	5,000,000		6,000,000		16,000,000		15,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	147,000,000		183,000,000		493,000,000		521,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			17,000,000				23,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(1,000,000)		17,000,000		11,000,000		23,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	632,000,000				632,000,000				608,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	156,000,000				156,000,000				136,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	476,000,000				476,000,000				472,000,000
Total Assets	643,000,000				643,000,000				659,000,000
Nonutility Operations - Generation and Marketing [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	194,000,000		106,000,000		427,000,000		247,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		1,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	194,000,000		106,000,000		427,000,000		248,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			8,000,000				20,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	10,000,000		8,000,000		4,000,000		20,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	619,000,000				619,000,000				590,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	240,000,000				240,000,000				219,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	379,000,000				379,000,000				371,000,000
Total Assets	1,022,000,000				1,022,000,000				868,000,000
All Other [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	6,000,000	[1]	6,000,000	[1]	16,000,000	[1]	18,000,000	[1]
Other Operating Segments	4,000,000	[1]	4,000,000	[1]	7,000,000	[1]	7,000,000	[1]
TOTAL REVENUES	10,000,000	[1]	10,000,000	[1]	23,000,000	[1]	25,000,000	[1]
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			(10,000,000)	[1]			(54,000,000)	[1]
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			0	[1]			0	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(6,000,000)	[1]	(10,000,000)	[1]	(25,000,000)	[1]	(54,000,000)	[1]
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	11,000,000	[1]			11,000,000	[1]			11,000,000	[1]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	10,000,000	[1]			10,000,000	[1]			10,000,000	[1]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	1,000,000	[1]			1,000,000	[1]			1,000,000	[1]
Total Assets	16,885,000,000	[1]			16,885,000,000	[1]			16,751,000,000	[1]
Reconciling Adjustments [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	0		0		0		0
Other Operating Segments	(44,000,000)		(43,000,000)		(108,000,000)		(111,000,000)
TOTAL REVENUES	(44,000,000)		(43,000,000)		(108,000,000)		(111,000,000)
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item			0				0
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX			0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	0		0		0		0
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	(266,000,000)	[2]			(266,000,000)	[2]			(258,000,000)	[2]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	(68,000,000)	[2]			(68,000,000)	[2]			(59,000,000)	[2]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	(198,000,000)	[2]			(198,000,000)	[2]			(199,000,000)	[2]
Total Assets	$ (16,839,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (16,839,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (16,742,000,000)	[2],[3]

[1] All Other includes: Parent's guarantee revenue received from affiliates, investment income, interest income and interest expense and other nonallocated costs. Forward natural gas contracts that were not sold with our natural gas pipeline and storage operations in 2004 and 2005. These contracts were financial derivatives which settled and expired in the fourth quarter of 2011. Revenue sharing related to the Plaquemine Cogeneration Facility which ended in the fourth quarter of 2011.

[2] Includes eliminations due to an intercompany capital lease.

[3] Reconciling Adjustments for Total Assets primarily include the elimination of intercompany advances to affiliates and intercompany accounts receivable along with the elimination of AEP's investments in subsidiary companies.