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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Sep. 13, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Feb. 17, 2011
Apr. 04, 2013
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions   $ 2,282,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions $ 108,099,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions $ 7,729,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions    
Income tax examination, liability (refund) adjustment from settlement with taxing authority     (133,000,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationLiabilityRefundAdjustmentFromSettlementWithTaxingAuthority      
Decrease in long term deferred tax liability due to adoption of regulations 82,000,000pnw_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredIncomeTaxesDueToRegulationAdoption 26,000,000pnw_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredIncomeTaxesDueToRegulationAdoption        
Unrecognized tax benefits if recognized, would decrease effective tax rate   11,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 10,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 10,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Pre-tax interest expense (benefit) related to unrecognized tax benefits   1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense (4,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense 4,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense    
Accrued liabilities for interest related to unrecognized tax benefit (less than $1 million for APS in 2014 and 2013)   1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 13,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued    
Interest income to be received on the overpayment of income taxes for certain adjustments that we have filed, or will file, with the IRS (less then $1 million)   1,000,000pnw_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesReceivable        
General business tax credit carryforwards that will begin to expire in 2031   90,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsGeneralBusiness        
Amount of federal and state loss carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2019   4,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards        
ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions   2,282,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
107,918,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
7,729,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
   
Income tax examination, liability (refund) adjustment from settlement with taxing authority     (135,000,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExaminationLiabilityRefundAdjustmentFromSettlementWithTaxingAuthority
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
     
Decrease in long term deferred tax liability due to adoption of regulations 82,000,000pnw_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredIncomeTaxesDueToRegulationAdoption
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
         
Unrecognized tax benefits if recognized, would decrease effective tax rate   11,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
10,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
10,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
   
Pre-tax interest expense (benefit) related to unrecognized tax benefits   1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
4,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
4,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
   
Accrued liabilities for interest related to unrecognized tax benefit (less than $1 million for APS in 2014 and 2013)     1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
13,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
   
Interest income to be received on the overpayment of income taxes for certain adjustments that we have filed, or will file, with the IRS (less then $1 million)   1,000,000pnw_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesReceivable
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
       
Third quarter 2009            
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions     67,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis
= pnw_ThirdQuarter2009Member
     
Third quarter 2009 | ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions     67,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis
= pnw_ThirdQuarter2009Member
     
Tax Years 2008 and 2009            
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions     41,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis
= pnw_TaxYears2008and2009Member
     
Tax Years 2008 and 2009 | ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Decrease in prior period uncertain tax positions     41,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis
= pnw_TaxYears2008and2009Member
     
ARIZONA | State Jurisdiction | ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Phase-in period of corporate income tax rate reductions beginning in 2014         4 years  
Decrease in long term deferred tax liability due to rate changes   74,000,000pnw_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredIncomeTaxesDueToRateChanges
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= stpr_AZ
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
       
NEW MEXICO | State Jurisdiction | ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Phase-in period of corporate income tax rate reductions beginning in 2014           5 years
Decrease in long term deferred tax liability due to rate changes   2,000,000pnw_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredIncomeTaxesDueToRateChanges
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis
= stpr_NM
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
       
Maximum | ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY            
Income Taxes            
Accrued liabilities for interest related to unrecognized tax benefit (less than $1 million for APS in 2014 and 2013)   1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pnw_ArizonaPublicServiceCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
       
Palo Verde VIE            
Income Taxes            
Income tax expense benefit attributable to non controlling interests   $ 0pnw_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAttributableToNonControllingInterests
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember