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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Sep. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Abstract]      
Unrecognized tax benefit — Permanent tax positions $ 1,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate   $ 1,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Unrecognized tax benefit — Temporary tax positions 11,200,000psco_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldNotImpactEffectiveTaxRate   10,000,000psco_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldNotImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Total unrecognized tax benefit 13,100,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits   11,900,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
NOL and tax credit carryforwards (4,700,000)psco_TaxBenefitsAssociatedWithNolAndTaxCreditCarryforwards   (3,900,000)psco_TaxBenefitsAssociatedWithNolAndTaxCreditCarryforwards
Upper bound of decrease in unrecognized tax benefit that is reasonably possible (1,000,000)us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound    
Amounts accrued for penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued   0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)      
Tax Audits [Abstract]      
Earliest year subject to examination 2009    
Year(s) under examination   2010 and 2011  
Year of carryback claim under examination   2009  
Potential Tax Adjustments $ 12,000,000psco_PotentialTaxAdjustments
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
   
State Jurisdiction (Colorado)      
Tax Audits [Abstract]      
Earliest year subject to examination 2009