Consolidated Statements Of Stockholders' Equity (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	PSEG [Member]	Power [Member] Contributed Capital [Member]	Power [Member] Basis Adjustment [Member]	Power [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Power [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Power [Member]	PSE&G [Member] Common Stock [Member]	PSE&G [Member] Contributed Capital [Member]	PSE&G [Member] Basis Adjustment [Member]	PSE&G [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	PSE&G [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	PSE&G [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
Beginning Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2008		$ 2,202	$ (986)	$ 3,225	$ (119)	$ 4,322	$ 892	$ 170	$ 986	$ 1,597	$ 2	$ 3,647	$ 4,756	$ (581)	$ 3,773	$ (177)	$ 11	$ 7,782
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2008													534	(28)
Net Income	1,598						0	0	0	325	0	325
Net Income	1,592	0	0	1,189	0	1,189						325	0	0	1,592	0	0	1,592
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:
Available-for-Sale Securities, net of tax		0	0	0	88	88							0	0	0	94	0	94
Change in Fair Value of Derivative Instruments, net of tax		0	0	0	358	358							0	0	0	356	0	356
Reclassification Adjustments for Net Amounts included in Net Income, net of tax		0	0	0	(350)	(350)							0	0	0	(348)	0	(348)
Pension/OPEB adjustment, net of tax		0	0	0	(26)	(26)							0	0	0	(29)	0	(29)
Other Comprehensive Income						70	0	0	0	0	3	3						73
Comprehensive Income						1,259						328						1,665
Non-Cash Return of Capital Related to Debt Exchange		(404)	0	0	0	(404)
Adoption of Accounting Guidance for Non-Credit Losses, net of tax		0	0	12	(12)	0							0	0	12	(12)	0	0
Contributed Capital		230	0	0	0	230	0	250	0	0	0	250
Cash Dividends on Preferred Stock							0	0	0	(4)	0	(4)
Cash Dividends on Common Stock		0	0	(940)	0	(940)							0	0	(673)	0	0	(673)
Noncontrolling Interest in Losses of Consolidated Entity													0	0	0	0	(1)	(1)
Other													32	(7)	0	0	0	25
Other, shares													0	0
Ending Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2009		2,028	(986)	3,486	(61)	4,467	892	420	986	1,918	5	4,221	4,788	(588)	4,704	(116)	10	8,798
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2009													534	(28)
Net Income						364						118						491
Ending Balance (in value) at Mar. 31, 2010
Beginning Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2009		2,028	(986)	3,486	(61)	4,467	892	420	986	1,918	5	4,221	4,788	(588)	4,704	(116)	10	8,798
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2009													534	(28)
Net Income	1,558						0	0	0	359	0	359
Net Income	1,564	0	0	1,143	0	1,143						359	0	0	1,564	0	0	1,564
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:
Available-for-Sale Securities, net of tax		0	0	0	15	15							0	0	0	6	0	6
Change in Fair Value of Derivative Instruments, net of tax		0	0	0	60	60							0	0	0	60	0	60
Reclassification Adjustments for Net Amounts included in Net Income, net of tax		0	0	0	(129)	(129)							0	0	0	(129)	0	(129)
Other		0	0	0	(1)	(1)
Pension/OPEB adjustment, net of tax		0	0	0	21	21							0	0	0	23	0	23
Other Comprehensive Income						(34)	0	0	0	0	(5)	(5)						(40)
Comprehensive Income						1,109						354						1,524
Contributed Capital						0						0
Cash Dividends on Preferred Stock							0	0	0	(1)	0	(1)
Cash Dividends on Common Stock		0	0	(549)	0	(549)	0	0	0	(150)	0	(150)	0	0	(693)	0	0	(693)
Noncontrolling Interest in Losses of Consolidated Entity													0	0	0	0	(2)	(2)
Other													19	(5)	0	0	0	14
Other, shares													0	0
Ending Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2010		2,028	(986)	4,080	(95)	5,027	892	420	986	2,126	0	4,424	4,807	(593)	5,575	(156)	8	9,641
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2010													534	(28)
Beginning Balance (in value) at Sep. 30, 2010
Net Income						191						83						282
Ending Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2010						5,027						4,424						9,641
Net Income						362						163						526
Ending Balance (in value) at Mar. 31, 2011
Beginning Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2010		2,028	(986)	4,080	(95)	5,027	892	420	986	2,126	0	4,424	4,807	(593)	5,575	(156)	8	9,641
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2010													534	(28)
Net Income	1,407						0	0	0	521	0	521
Net Income	1,503	0	0	1,098	0	1,098						521	0	0	1,503	0	0	1,503
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), net of tax:
Available-for-Sale Securities, net of tax		0	0	0	(42)	(42)							0	0	0	(39)	0	(39)
Change in Fair Value of Derivative Instruments, net of tax		0	0	0	47	47							0	0	0	47	0	47
Reclassification Adjustments for Net Amounts included in Net Income, net of tax		0	0	0	(127)	(127)							0	0	0	(127)	0	(127)
Pension/OPEB adjustment, net of tax		0	0	0	(59)	(59)							0	0	0	(62)	0	(62)
Other Comprehensive Income						(181)	0	0	0	0	2	2						(181)
Comprehensive Income						917						523						1,322
Contributed Capital						0						0
Cash Dividends on Common Stock		0	0	(500)	0	(500)	0	0	0	(300)	0	(300)	0	0	(693)	0	0	(693)
Noncontrolling Interest in Losses of Consolidated Entity													0	0	0	0	(6)	(6)
Other													16	(8)	0	0	0	8
Other, shares													0	0
Ending Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2011		2,028	(986)	4,678	(276)	5,444	892	420	986	2,347	2	4,647	4,823	(601)	6,385	(337)	2	10,272
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2011													534	(28)
Beginning Balance (in value) at Sep. 30, 2011
Net Income						226						99						360
Ending Balance (in value) at Dec. 31, 2011						$ 5,444						$ 4,647						$ 10,272