DEBT AND CREDIT FACILITIES - LINES OF CREDIT (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Line Of Credit Facility, Sempra Energy Consolidated [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 4,200
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	$ 3,100
Weighted average interest rate on total short-term debt outstanding	1.12%	1.09%
Line Of Credit Facility, Sempra Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,000
Committed lines of credit, maximum ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization	65.00%
Committed lines of credit, capacity for issuance of letters of credit	$ 400
Committed lines of credit, outstanding borrowings	0
Line Of Credit Facility, Sempra Global [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 2,210
Committed lines of credit, maximum ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization	65.00%
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	$ 1,330
Outstanding commercial paper supported by committed lines of credit	879
Line Of Credit Facility, S D G E [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 750
Committed lines of credit, maximum ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization	65.00%
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	$ 584
Outstanding commercial paper supported by committed lines of credit	$ 166
Weighted average interest rate on total short-term debt outstanding	1.02%	1.01%
Line Of Credit Facility, So Cal Gas [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 750
Committed lines of credit, maximum ratio of indebtedness to total capitalization	65.00%
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	$ 745
Outstanding commercial paper supported by committed lines of credit	$ 5
Weighted average interest rate on total short-term debt outstanding	0.40%
Line Of Credit Facility, California Utilities Combined [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,000
Committed lines of credit, capacity for issuance of letters of credit	250
Line Of Credit Facility, South American Utilities And Mexico [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	1,100
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	876
Line Of Credit Facility Sempra Mexico [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	600
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	509
Committed lines of credit, outstanding borrowings	91
Line Of Credit Facility, Peruvian Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	255
Committed lines of credit, outstanding borrowings	165
Bank Guarantee	15
Line Of Credit Facility, Chilean Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, remaining borrowing capacity	112
Committed lines of credit, outstanding borrowings	0
Line Of Credit Facility Sempra South America [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Committed lines of credit, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 547
Committed lines of credit, maximum ratio of debt to equity	170.00%