Financial Risk Management Activities (Schedule Of Gross Volume, On Absolute Basis For Derivative Contracts) (Detail)	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Natural Gas Dth [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	625,000,000	596,000,000
Electricity MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	231,000,000	208,000,000
Capacity MW Days [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	4,000,000	4,000,000
FTRs MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	8,000,000	19,000,000
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	850,000,000	850,000,000
Coal Tons [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis		1,000,000
PSEG [Member] | Natural Gas Dth [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
PSEG [Member] | Electricity MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
PSEG [Member] | Capacity MW Days [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0
PSEG [Member] | FTRs MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
PSEG [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	850,000,000	850,000,000
PSEG [Member] | Coal Tons [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis		0
Power [Member] | Natural Gas Dth [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	444,000,000	404,000,000
Power [Member] | Electricity MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	231,000,000	208,000,000
Power [Member] | Capacity MW Days [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
Power [Member] | FTRs MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	8,000,000	19,000,000
Power [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
Power [Member] | Coal Tons [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis		1,000,000
PSE And G [Member] | Natural Gas Dth [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	181,000,000	192,000,000
PSE And G [Member] | Electricity MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
PSE And G [Member] | Capacity MW Days [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	4,000,000	4,000,000
PSE And G [Member] | FTRs MWh [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0	0
PSE And G [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis	0
PSE And G [Member] | Coal Tons [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Gross volume of derivative on absolute value basis		0