COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Sempra Energy [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase in asset retirement obligations	$ 342
Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase in asset retirement obligations	316
Sempra Natural Gas [Member] \| Natural Gas Contracts [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount	(224)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2016	(168)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2017	2
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2018	(17)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2019	(20)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2020	(8)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, thereafter	(13)
Charges related to permanent capacity releases, pretax	206
Charges related to permanent capacity releases, after tax	123
Obligation to make future capacity payments, current	44
Obligation to make future capacity payments, noncurrent	106
Sempra Natural Gas [Member] \| Liquefied Natural Gas Contracts [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2016	(306)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2017	41
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2018	(18)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2019	(59)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2020	(98)
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, thereafter	$ (542)
Escalation percentage beyond year 2028	1.00%
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase in asset retirement obligations	$ 26
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] \| Purchased Power Contracts [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount	526
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2016	19
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2017	56
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2018	57
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2019	57
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2020	57
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, thereafter	280
Power transmission tolling fee		$ 1,400
Sempra Mexico [Member] \| Construction and Development Projects [Member]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in commitment amount, 2016	180
Commitment amount due in remainder of fiscal year	4
Commitment amount due in 2017	15
Commitment amount due in 2018	15
Commitment amount due in 2019	16
Commitment amount due in 2020	16
Commitment amount due thereafter	$ 114

Charges Related To Permanent Capacity Releases, After Tax.

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Escalation percentage.

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, After Five Years

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Year Five

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Year Four

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Year One

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Year Three

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Increase (Decrease) in Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Year Two

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Obligation To Make Future Capacity Payments, Noncurrent.

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- Definition

Power Transmission Tolling Fee Payable

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Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred and payable for the acquisition of merchandise, materials, supplies and services pertaining to construction projects such as a housing development or factory expansion not classified as trade payables. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
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- Definition

The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in the carrying amount of asset retirement obligations.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
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- Definition

Other deductions and charges as defined.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Rule 15c3-1
-Number 240
-Section 15c3-1

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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Amount of the fixed and determinable portion of the unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation maturing in the remainder of the fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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