OTHER FINANCIAL DATA - DUE TO DUE FROM AFFILIATES (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	$ 24,000,000	$ 26,000,000	[1]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	187,000,000	201,000,000	[1]
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	$ (13,000,000)	(11,000,000)	[1]
Joint venture with PEMEX [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest rate on due from affiliate, noncurrent	5.48%
Joint venture with PEMEX [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Spread on variable rate	450.00%
ESJ joint venture [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest rate on due from affiliate, noncurrent	7.36%
ESJ joint venture [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Spread on variable rate	637.50%
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	$ 0	4,000,000	[1]
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	(45,000,000)	(15,000,000)	[1]
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] | Due to/from Sempra Energy [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	0	3,000,000
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	(28,000,000)	0
Income taxes due from Sempra Energy	109,000,000	159,000,000
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] | Due to/from Other Affiliates [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	0	1,000,000
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] | Due to/from SoCalGas [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	(9,000,000)	(8,000,000)
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] | Due to/from Other affiliates [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	(8,000,000)	(7,000,000)
Southern California Gas Company [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	16,000,000	8,000,000	[1]
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	0	(28,000,000)	[1]
Southern California Gas Company [Member] | Due to/from Sempra Energy [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	7,000,000	0
Due to unconsolidated affiliates, current	0	(28,000,000)
Income taxes due to Sempra Energy	$ (13,000,000)
Income taxes due from Sempra Energy		$ 5,000,000
Interest rate on due from affiliate, noncurrent	0.95%	0.68%
Loan to unconsolidated affiliate, principal	$ 35,000,000	$ 31,000,000
Southern California Gas Company [Member] | Due to/from SDG&E [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - current	9,000,000	8,000,000
Sempra South American Utilities [Member] | Eletrans [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	$ 82,000,000	96,000,000
Interest rate on due from affiliate, noncurrent	4.00%
Sempra South American Utilities [Member] | Due to/from Other affiliates [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	$ 1,000,000	1,000,000
Sempra Mexico [Member] | PEMEX Three year loan A [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	2,000,000	2,000,000
Sempra Mexico [Member] | PEMEX Four year loan A [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	44,000,000	44,000,000
Sempra Mexico [Member] | PEMEX Four year loan B [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	36,000,000	35,000,000
Sempra Mexico [Member] | PEMEX Four year loan C [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	9,000,000	9,000,000
Sempra Mexico [Member] | ESJ joint venture [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from unconsolidated affiliates - noncurrent	$ 13,000,000	$ 14,000,000

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.