Employee Benefits Employee Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Employee Benefits [Abstract]

Assets and Liabilities associated with Non Qualified Benefit Plans [Table Text Block]

Trust assets and plan liabilities related to the NQBP included in PGE’s consolidated balance sheets are as follows as of December 31 (in millions):

	2011						2010
	NQBP		Other NQBP		Total		NQBP		Other NQBP		Total
Non-qualified benefit plan trust	$	17	$	19	$	36	$	19	$	25	$	44
Non-qualified benefit plan liabilities *	25		76		101		24		73		97

* For the NQBP, excludes the current portion of $2 million in 2011 and 2010, which is classified in Other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The asset allocations for the plans, and the target allocation, are as follows:

	As of December 31,
	2011				2010
	Actual		Target *		Actual		Target *
Defined Benefit Pension Plan:
Equity securities	68	%	67	%	68	%	67	%
Debt securities	32		33		32		33
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans:
Equity securities	61	%	72	%	46	%	47	%
Debt securities	39		28		54		53
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%
Non-Qualified Benefits Plans:
Equity securities	30	%	23	%	42	%	42	%
Debt securities	7		14		5		7
Insurance contracts	63		63		53		51
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%	100	%

* The Target for the Defined Benefit Plan represents the mid-point of the investment target range. Due to the nature of the investment vehicles in both the Other Postretirement Benefit Plans and the Non-Qualified Benefit Plans, these Targets are the weighted average of the mid-point of the respective investment target ranges approved by the Investment Committee. Due to the method used to calculate the weighted average Targets for the Other Postretirement Benefit Plans and Non-Qualified Benefit Plans, reported percentages are affected by the fair market values of the investments within the pools.

Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities whose values were recognized at fair value are as follows by level within the fair value hierarchy (in millions): 

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Nuclear decommissioning trust (1):
Money market funds	$	—	$	14	$	—	$	14
Debt securities:
Domestic government	3		9		—		12
Corporate credit	—		11		—		11
Non-qualified benefit plan trust (2):
Equity securities:
Domestic	7		2		—		9
International	1		—		—		1
Debt securities - domestic government	3		—		—		3
Assets from price risk management activities (1) (3):
Electricity	—		2		—		2
Natural gas	—		17		—		17
	$	14	$	55	$	—	$	69
Liabilities - Liabilities from price risk management activities(1) (3):
Electricity	$	—	$	108	$	29	$	137
Natural gas	—		201		50		251
	$	—	$	309	$	79	$	388

(1) Activities are subject to regulation, with certain gains and losses deferred pursuant to regulatory accounting and included in regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities as appropriate.

(2) Excludes insurance policies of $23 million, which are recorded at cash surrender value.

(3) For further information, see Note 5, Price Risk Management.

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Nuclear decommissioning trust (1):
Money market funds	$	—	$	13	$	—	$	13
Debt securities:
Domestic government	3		9		—		12
Corporate credit	—		9		—		9
Non-qualified benefit plan trust (2):
Equity securities:
Domestic	16		—		—		16
International	2		1		—		3
Debt securities - domestic government	2		—		—		2
Assets from price risk management activities (1) (3):
Electricity	—		4		1		5
Natural gas	—		11		—		11
	$	23	$	47	$	1	$	71
Liabilities - Liabilities from price risk management activities (1) (3):
Electricity	$	—	$	102	$	17	$	119
Natural gas	—		153		104		257
	$	—	$	255	$	121	$	376

(1) Activities are subject to regulation, with certain gains and losses deferred pursuant to regulatory accounting and included in regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities as appropriate.

(2) Excludes insurance policies of $23 million, which are recorded at cash surrender value.

(3) For further information, see Note 5, Price Risk Management.

The fair values of the Company’s pension plan assets and other postretirement benefit plan assets by asset category are as follows (in millions):  

	As of December 31, 2011
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Defined Benefit Pension Plan assets:
Money market funds	$	—	$	3	$	—	$	3
Equity securities:
Domestic	151		12		—		163
International	54		51		—		105
Debt securities:
Domestic government and corporate credit	—		78		—		78
Corporate credit	76		—		—		76
Private equity funds	—		—		32		32
Alternative investments	—		—		30		30
	$	281	$	144	$	62	$	487
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans assets:
Money market funds	$	—	$	7	$	—	$	7
Equity securities:
Domestic	12		1		—		13
International	2		2		—		4
Debt securities—Domestic government	3		—		—		3
	$	17	$	10	$	—	$	27

	As of December 31, 2010
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Defined Benefit Pension Plan assets:
Money market funds	$	—	$	15	$	—	$	15
Equity securities:
Domestic	52		111		—		163
International	53		53		—		106
Debt securities—Domestic government and corporate credit	68		70		—		138
Private equity funds	—		—		23		23
Alternative investments	—		—		28		28
	$	173	$	249	$	51	$	473
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans assets:
Money market funds	$	—	$	7	$	—	$	7
Equity securities:
Domestic	3		2		—		5
International	1		1		—		2
Debt securities—Domestic government	2		—		—		2
	$	6	$	10	$	—	$	16

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

Changes in the fair value of assets held by the pension plan classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy presented in the table above were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 (in millions):

	Private equity			Alternative assets		Total Level 3
Balance as of December 31, 2009	$	17		$	23	$	40
Purchases and sales, net	4			2		6
Realized gain on sales	1			—		1
Unrealized gain on assets	1			3		4
Balance as of December 31, 2010	23			28		51
Purchases	7			—		7
Realized loss on sales	(2		)	—		(2		)
Unrealized gain on assets	4			2		6
Balance as of December 31, 2011	$	32		$	30	$	62

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

The following tables provide certain information with respect to the Company’s defined benefit pension plan, other postretirement benefits, and non-qualified benefit plans as of and for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. Obligations related to the Other NQBP are not included in the following tables (dollars in millions):

	Defined Benefit Pension Plan						Other Postretirement   Benefits						Non-Qualified Benefit Plans
	2011			2010			2011			2010			2011			2010
Benefit obligation:
As of January 1	$	550		$	491		$	79		$	77		$	25		$	27
Service cost	12			11			2			2			—			—
Interest cost	29			28			4			4			1			1
Participants’ contributions	—			—			2			2			—			—
Actuarial loss (gain)	69			42			(5		)	1			3			—
Benefit payments	(26		)	(22		)	(7		)	(7		)	(2		)	(3		)
As of December 31	$	634		$	550		$	75		$	79		$	27		$	25
Fair value of plan assets:
As of January 1	$	473		$	406		$	16		$	19		$	19		$	20
Actual return on plan assets	14			59			—			1			—			2
Company contributions	26			30			16			1			—			—
Participants’ contributions	—			—			2			2			—			—
Benefit payments	(26		)	(22		)	(7		)	(7		)	(2		)	(3		)
As of December 31	$	487		$	473		$	27		$	16		$	17		$	19
Unfunded position as of December 31	$	(147	)	$	(77	)	$	(48	)	$	(63	)	$	(10	)	$	(6	)
Accumulated benefit plan obligation as of December 31	$	566		$	503		N/A			N/A			$	27		$	25
Classification in consolidated balance sheet:
Noncurrent asset	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	17		$	19
Current liability	—			—			—			—			(2		)	(2		)
Noncurrent liability	(147		)	(77		)	(48		)	(63		)	(25		)	(23		)
Net liability	$	(147	)	$	(77	)	$	(48	)	$	(63	)	$	(10	)	$	(6	)

	Defined Benefit Pension Plan						Other Postretirement Benefits								Non-Qualified Benefit Plans
	2011			2010			2011				2010				2011			2010
Amounts included in comprehensive income:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	97		$	22		$	(4	)		$	1			$	2		$	—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	(8		)	(3		)	(1		)		(1		)		(1		)	(1		)
Amortization of prior service cost	(1		)	(1		)	(1		)		(1		)		—			—
	$	88		$	18		$	(6	)		$	(1	)		$	1		$	(1	)
Amounts included in AOCL*:
Net actuarial loss	$	275		$	186		$	15			$	20			$	10		$	9
Prior service cost	1			2			4				5				—			—
	$	276		$	188		$	19			$	25			$	10		$	9
Assumptions used:
Discount rate used to calculate benefit obligation	5.00		%	5.47		%	3.76		%	-	4.02		%	-	5.00		%	5.47		%
							4.90		%		5.40		%
Weighted average rate of increase in future compensation levels	3.71		%	3.80		%	4.58		%		4.83		%		N/A			N/A
Long-term rate of return on plan assets	8.25		%	8.50		%	7.09		%		6.44		%		N/A			N/A

* Amounts included in AOCL related to the Company’s defined benefit pension plan and other postretirement benefits are transferred to Regulatory assets due to the future recoverability from retail customers. Accordingly, as of the balance sheet date, such amounts are included in Regulatory assets.

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

Net periodic benefit cost consists of the following for the years ended December 31 (in millions):

	Defined Benefit Pension Plan									Other Postretirement Benefits									Non-Qualified Benefit Plans
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009			2011		2010		2009
Service cost	$	12		$	11		$	11		$	2		$	2		$	2		$	—	$	—	$	—
Interest cost on benefit obligation	29			28			31			4			4			4			1		1		2
Expected return on plan assets	(42		)	(39		)	(43		)	(1		)	(1		)	(1		)	—		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	1			1			1			1			1			1			—		—		—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	8			3			—			1			1			1			1		1		—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	8		$	4		$	—		$	7		$	7		$	7		$	2	$	2	$	2

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the benefits expected to be paid to participants in each of the next five years and in the aggregate for the five years thereafter (in millions):

	Payments Due
	2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017 - 2021
Defined benefit pension plan	$	31	$	32	$	34	$	36	$	37	$	209
Other postretirement benefits	4		4		4		4		5		23
Non-qualified benefit plans	2		2		2		3		2		11
Total	$	37	$	38	$	40	$	43	$	44	$	243