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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Sep. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Abstract]      
Unrecognized tax benefit - Permanent tax positions $ 1,500,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate   $ 1,500,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Unrecognized tax benefit - Temporary tax positions 12,300,000sps_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldNotImpactEffectiveTaxRate   11,700,000sps_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldNotImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Total unrecognized tax benefit 13,800,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits   13,200,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
NOL and tax credit carryforwards (5,500,000)sps_TaxBenefitsAssociatedWithNolAndTaxCreditCarryforwards   (4,800,000)sps_TaxBenefitsAssociatedWithNolAndTaxCreditCarryforwards
Upper bound of decrease in unrecognized tax benefit that is reasonably possible (2,000,000)us-gaap_SignificantChangeInUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIsReasonablyPossibleEstimatedRangeOfChangeUpperBound    
Amounts accrued for penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits 0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued    
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)      
Tax Audits [Abstract]      
Earliest year subject to examination 2009    
Year(s) under examination   2010 and 2011  
Year of carryback claim under examination   2009  
Potential Tax Adjustments $ 12,000,000sps_PotentialTaxAdjustments
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
   
State Jurisdiction (Texas)      
Tax Audits [Abstract]      
Earliest year subject to examination 2009