Fair Value Disclosures - Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	$ 119	$ 112
Fair Value, liabilities	44	43
Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	74	71
Fair Value, liabilities	8	9
Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	2	3
Fair Value, liabilities	2	4
Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	28	35
Fair Value, liabilities	15	12
Natural Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities	1	4
Natural Gas [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities	1	4
Capacity [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets	4	8
Derivative instruments, liabilities	14	11
Capacity [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets	4	8
Derivative instruments, liabilities	14	11
Treasury Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	37	27
Treasury Fund [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	3
Treasury Fund [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	24	27
Money Market Funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	14	17
Money Market Funds [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	12	15
Money Market Funds [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	1	2
Life Insurance Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	64	60
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	29	28
Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	59	56
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	8	9
Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	1	1
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	1
Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	1	1
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	51	44
Fair Value, liabilities	1
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	15	15
Fair Value, liabilities
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	1	2
Fair Value, liabilities	1
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	24	27
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Natural Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities	1
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Natural Gas [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities	1
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Capacity [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets
Derivative instruments, liabilities
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	37	27
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	3
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	24	27
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	14	17
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	12	15
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	1	2
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Instruments (Level 1) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	45	42
Fair Value, liabilities	29	28
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	40	38
Fair Value, liabilities	8	9
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, liabilities	1
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, liabilities	1	1
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Natural Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Capacity [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets
Derivative instruments, liabilities
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	45	42
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	29	28
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	40	38
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	8	9
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	1
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities	1	1
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	23	26
Fair Value, liabilities	14	15
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	19	18
Fair Value, liabilities
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	1	1
Fair Value, liabilities		4
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair Value, assets	4	8
Fair Value, liabilities	14	11
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Natural Gas [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities		4
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Natural Gas [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, liabilities		4
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Capacity [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets	4	8
Derivative instruments, liabilities	14	11
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Capacity [Member] | Atlantic City Electric Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative instruments, assets	4	8
Derivative instruments, liabilities	14	11
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Treasury Fund [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Cash equivalents
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	19	18
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Potomac Electric Power Co [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	19	18
Executive deferred compensation plan liabilities
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Life Insurance Contracts [Member] | Delmarva Power & Light Co/De [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Executive deferred compensation plan assets	$ 1	$ 1