COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2005
Nuclear Insurance
Inflation adjustment period for nuclear insurance	5
Environmental
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	$ 1,451,000,000	$ 1,464,000,000
Nuclear Generation
Estimated cash outflow for plant costs and related transmission infrastructure costs of nuclear electric generation site	6,000,000,000
SCEG
Nuclear Insurance
Federal Limit on Public Liability Claims from Nuclear Incident Approximate	12,600,000,000
Maximum Insurance Coverage for each Nuclear Plant by ANI	375,000,000
Maximum liability assessment per reactor for each nuclear incident	117,500,000	78,300,000
Maximum yearly assessment per reactor	17,500,000
Maximum prosepective insurance premium per nuclear incident	40,600,000
Maximum amount of coverage to nuclear facility for property damage and outage costs	2,750,000,000
Maximum amount of coverage for accidental property damage	500,000,000
Environmental
Number of coal fired units to be retired	6
Number of MGP decommissioned sites that contain residues of byproduct chemicals	4
Site Contingency MGP Estimated Environmental Remediation Costs	22,100,000
Deferred costs net of costs previously recovered through rates and insurance settlements included in regulatory assets	38,300,000
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	1,365,000,000	1,377,000,000
Nuclear Generation
Capital Cost Related to New Federal Healthcare Etc		1,000,000
Public Utilities Property Plant and Equipment Identifiable Capital Costs		278,000,000
Share in Approved Capital Costs		8,000,000
Public Utilities Additional Labor Expenses for Oversight of New Units		132,000,000
Number of states required to reduce emissions to attain mandated levels			28
Milestones for new units	146
PSNC Energy
Environmental
Number of MGP sites requiring cleanup	5
Regulatory Assets, Noncurrent	3,000,000
SCEG | SCEG
Nuclear Insurance
Maximum yearly assessment per reactor	$ 11,700,000