Palo Verde Sale Leaseback Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY item	Mar. 31, 2013 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY	Dec. 31, 2013 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY	Dec. 31, 1986 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY item	Mar. 31, 2014 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY Consolidation of VIEs item	Mar. 31, 2013 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY Consolidation of VIEs	Dec. 31, 2013 ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY Consolidation of VIEs
Palo Verde Sale Leaseback Variable Interest Entities
Number of VIE lessor trusts				3			3
Annual lease payments				$ 49,000,000
Annual lease payment if lease is extended										23,000,000
Number of options								2
Increase in net income due to consolidation of Palo Verde Sale Leaseback Trusts	8,925,000	8,392,000		8,925,000	8,392,000			9,000,000	8,000,000
Amounts relating to the VIEs included in Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
Palo Verde sale leaseback property plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	124,157,000		125,125,000	124,157,000		125,125,000		124,000,000		125,000,000
Current maturities of long-term debt	540,424,000		540,424,000	540,424,000		540,424,000		26,000,000		26,000,000
Long-term debt excluding current maturities								13,000,000		13,000,000
Equity - Noncontrolling interests	154,915,000		145,990,000	154,915,000		145,990,000		155,000,000		146,000,000
Maximum payment to the VIEs' noncontrolling equity participants upon the occurrence of certain unlikely events								133,000,000
VIE debt to be assumed upon the occurrence of certain unlikely events								$ 39,000,000