Name:	por_CommodityContractAssetElectricity
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the asset arising from commodity contracts related to purchases or sales of natural gas.

No definition available.

Name:	por_CommodityContractAssetNaturalGas
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities arising from commodity contracts related to purchases or sales of electricity.

No definition available.

Name:	por_CommodityContractLiabilitiesElectricity
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities arising from commodity contracts related to purchases or sales of natural gas.

No definition available.

Name:	por_CommodityContractLiabilitiesNaturalGas
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Corporate debt securities held in decommissioning trust assets

No definition available.

Name:	por_CorporateDebtSecuritiesHeldInDecommissioningTrustAssets
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

debt securities - domestic government

No definition available.

Name:	por_DebtSecuritiesDomesticGovernment
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Domestic Equity Securities

No definition available.

Name:	por_DomesticEquitySecurities
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair Value - Money market funds

No definition available.

Name:	por_FairValueMoneyMarketFunds
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Liabilities from price risk management activities: [Abstract]

No definition available.

Name:	por_LiabilitiesFromPriceRiskManagementActivitiesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	por_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Fair value of investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share, including, but not limited to, by unit, membership interest, or other ownership interest. Investments include, but are not limited to, investments in certain hedge funds, venture capital funds, private equity funds, real estate partnerships or funds.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=SL6742756-110258

Name:	us-gaap_AlternativeInvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of the amount that could be realized under a life insurance contract or contracts owned by the entity, commonly known as corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) or bank-owned life insurance (BOLI).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Surrender Value
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507153

Name:	us-gaap_CashSurrenderValueFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringAndNonrecurringBasisLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsFinancialAssetsBalanceSheetGroupingsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Fair value portion of investment securities, including, but not limited to, marketable securities, derivative financial instruments, and investments accounted for under the equity method.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Trading Securities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6526789

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 35
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27723805&loc=d3e24584-111560

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Available-for-Sale Securities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505594

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Investment in short-term money-market instruments (such as commercial paper, banker's acceptances, repurchase agreements, government securities, certificates of deposit, and so forth) which are highly liquid (that is, readily convertible to known amounts of cash) and so near their maturity that they present an insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify as cash equivalents by definition. Original maturity means an original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Equivalents
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Name:	us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Debt (bills, notes or bonds) that are issued by the government of the United States which are short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify under that definition. Original maturity means original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Equivalents
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Name:	us-gaap_USGovernmentSecuritiesAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: