COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2005	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011 SCE&G Nuclear electric generation units MW	May 31, 2011 SCE&G	Mar. 31, 2011 SCE&G	Jun. 30, 2011 SCE&G	Jun. 30, 2011 PSNC Energy
Nuclear Insurance
Federal limit on public liability claims from nuclear incident, approximate	$ 12,600,000,000
Maximum liability assessment per reactor for each nuclear incident	117,500,000						78,300,000
Maximum yearly assessment per reactor	17,500,000						11,700,000
Proportionate ownership share in Summer Station Unit 1							two-thirds
Proportionate ownership share of the other owner in Summer Station Unit 1							one-third
Maximum retrospective insurance premium per nuclear incident							14,200,000
Environmental
Number of states required to reduce emissions to attain mandated levels		28
Number of phases set by CAIR to attain emission limit		2
Maximum number of years required to meet the new standards for mercury and other specified air pollutants						4
Number of sites decommissioned that contain residues of by-product chemicals							4
Additional costs incurred for remediation							8,700,000
Initial demand for costs and damages relating to a MGP site in South Carolina							9,100,000
Settlement amount					3,750,000
Deferred costs, net of costs previously recovered through rates and insurance settlements included in regulatory assets							25,600,000
Number of sites that require environmental clean-up								5
Regulatory assets	1,128,000,000		1,061,000,000					3,200,000
Nuclear Generation
Number of nuclear electric generation units				2
Generation capacity (in MW)				1,117
Percentage applicable to the Company (as a percent)				55.00%
Percentage applicable to joint owner 2 (as a percent)				45.00%
Estimated cash outflow for plant costs and related transmission infrastructure costs of nuclear electric generation site				$ 5,500,000,000
Basis for determination of the projected plant costs and related transmission infrastructure costs				one-year and five-year escalation rates