SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	$ 2,089		$ 2,422	[1]	$ 4,472		$ 4,856	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	113		118	[1]	226		226	[1]
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	4		12	[1]	9		15	[1]
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	266		248	[1]	523		478	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(118)		100	[1]	(1)		214	[1]
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(293)		7	[1]	(281)		8	[1]
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	8		8	[1]	19		39	[1]
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	62		503	[1]	298		757	[1]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	100.00%		100.00%		100.00%		100.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1,517		1,225
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					100.00%		100.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	34,202				34,202				33,249	[1],[2]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	100.00%				100.00%				100.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	1,557				1,557				1,629
S D G E Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	780		697		1,614		1,537
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	37.00%		29.00%		36.00%		32.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	39		31		75		67
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	119		105		231		208
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	45.00%		42.00%		44.00%		44.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	53		42		113		91
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	95		71		200		160
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	153.00%		14.00%		67.00%		21.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					729		714
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					48.00%		58.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	14,296				14,296				13,555
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	42.00%				42.00%				41.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	1		1		3		3
So Cal Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	720		876		1,600		1,932
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	34.00%		36.00%		36.00%		40.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	17		18		34		35
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	90		82		177		163
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	34.00%		33.00%		34.00%		34.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	28		28		68		65
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	53		59		119		127
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	86.00%		12.00%		40.00%		17.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					316		325
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					21.00%		27.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	8,438				8,438				8,475
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	25.00%				25.00%				25.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	16		12		31		25
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	65		60		123		116
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(1)		1				3
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	2		3		6		7
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		1.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(73)		(27)		(74)		(42)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(1)		(2)		(1)		(11)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	2		(27)		(21)		(58)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	3.00%		(5.00%)		(7.00%)		(8.00%)
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					3		1
Segment reporting information, Assets	376				376				538
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	1.00%				1.00%				2.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	135				135				137
Adjustments and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(1)				(1)
Intercompany Eliminations Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	(45)		(31)		(81)		(62)
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	(18)		(7)		(32)		(21)
Intersegment Revenues Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	(88)	[3]	(125)	[3]	(188)	[3]	(247)	[3]
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	(4.00%)		(5.00%)		(4.00%)		(5.00%)
Intersegment Receivables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Assets	(2,633)				(2,633)				(2,162)
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	(8.00%)				(8.00%)				(7.00%)
Sempra South American Utilities Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	348		361		705		361
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	17.00%		15.00%		16.00%		7.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	6		12		16		14
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	4		10		8		12
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	14		13		27		13
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	5.00%		5.00%		5.00%		3.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	17		12		30		12
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax			(1)				23
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	38		314		78		336
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	61.00%		62.00%		26.00%		44.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					58		27
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					4.00%		2.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	3,068				3,068				2,981
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Sempra Mexico Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	118		171		253		378
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	6.00%		7.00%		6.00%		8.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	2		6		6		11
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	3		2		6		4
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	16		16		31		31
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	6.00%		7.00%		6.00%		6.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	3		13		23		31
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Net of Tax	8		9		19		16
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	43		35		80		74
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	69.00%		7.00%		27.00%		10.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					9		7
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,964				2,964				2,914
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	9.00%				9.00%				9.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	323				323				302
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	37		51		83		109
Sempra Renewables Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	14		6		22		10
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	1.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	3		2		7		5
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	1				1
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	3		2		6		3
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	1.00%		1.00%		1.00%		1.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(18)		(6)		(35)		(13)
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(2)		(1)		(1)
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	24		4		34		8
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	39.00%		1.00%		11.00%		1.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					351		55
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					23.00%		4.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	2,060				2,060				1,210
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	6.00%				6.00%				4.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	622				622				390
Sempra Natural Gas Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Revenues	198		436		467		885
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Total Consolidated Revenues	9.00%		18.00%		10.00%		18.00%
Segment reporting information, Interest Expense	26		20		46		40
Segment reporting information, Interest Income	15		6		26		17
Segment reporting information, Depreciation and Amortization	22		27		45		53
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Depreciation and Amortization	8.00%		11.00%		9.00%		11.00%
Segment reporting information, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(128)		38		(126)		70
Segment reporting information, Equity Earnings (Losses) Recorded Before Tax	(290)		10		(279)		19
Segment reporting information, earnings (losses)	(193)		47		(192)		110
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Earnings (Losses)	(311.00%)		9.00%		(64.00%)		15.00%
Segment Reporting Information, Additional Information [Abstract]
Segment reporting information, Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					51		96
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Expenditures for Property, Plant & Equipment					3.00%		8.00%
Segment reporting information, Assets	5,633				5,633				5,738
Segment reporting information, Percentage of Consolidated Assets	16.00%				16.00%				17.00%
Segment Reporting Information Investments In Equity Method Investees	477				477				800
Segment Reporting Information, Intersegment Revenue	$ 34		$ 61		$ 71		$ 110

[1] As adjusted for the retrospective effect of a change in accounting principle as we discuss in Note 1.

[2] Derived from audited financial statements.

[3] Revenues for reportable segments include intersegment revenues of: $1 million, $16 million, $37 million and $34 million for the three months ended June 30, 2012; $3 million, $31 million, $83 million and $71 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012; $1 million, $12 million, $51 million and $61 million for the three months ended June 30, 2011; and $3 million, $25 million, $109 million and $110 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 for SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra Mexico and Sempra Natural Gas, respectively.