v2.4.1.9

RECENT INVESTMENT ACTIVITY 2 (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Mar. 13, 2014 | Apr. 09, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Liabilities Assumed | $ (2)us-gaap_LiabilitiesAssumed1 | $ 0 us-gaap_LiabilitiesAssumed1 |  |
Copper Mountain Solar 3 [Member] |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Equity Method Investment Ownership Percentage |  |  | 50.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_CopperMountainSolar3Member |
Deconsolidation Gain Or Loss Amount After Tax |  |  | 16 sre_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmountAfterTax / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_CopperMountainSolar3Member |
Proceeds from sale, net of cash sold |  |  | 66 sre_ProceedsFromSaleOfAssetsAndInvestments / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_CopperMountainSolar3Member |
Mesquite Power [Member] |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Deconsolidation Gain Or Loss Amount After Tax |  |  |  | 34 sre_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmountAfterTax / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_MesquitePowerMember
Proceeds from sale, net of cash sold |  |  |  | 345 sre_ProceedsFromSaleOfAssetsAndInvestments / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_MesquitePowerMember
Deconsolidation Gain Or Loss Amount |  |  |  | 58 us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_MesquitePowerMember
Black Oak Getty Wind [Member] |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Cash consideration (fair value of total consideration) | 2 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_BlackOakGettyWindMember |  |  |
Equity Method Investment Ownership Percentage |  |  | 100.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_BlackOakGettyWindMember |
Contingent payments to acquire a business | 6 sre_ContingentPaymentsToAcquireBusiness / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_BlackOakGettyWindMember |  |  |
Total business acquisition costs | $ 8 sre_TotalBusinessAcquisitionCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = sre_BlackOakGettyWindMember |  |  |

X
- Definition Contingent payments to acquire a business during the period + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_ContingentPaymentsToAcquireBusiness
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Deconsolidation gain or Loss amount, after tax. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmountAfterTax
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash inflow from the sale of assets and investments. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_ProceedsFromSaleOfAssetsAndInvestments
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Total business acquisition costs + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_TotalBusinessAcquisitionCosts
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of the gain (loss) recognized by the parent and included in its attributable portion of net income for the period due to deconsolidation of a subsidiary or derecognition of a group of assets. The gain (loss) recognized and included in the net income attributable to the parent for the period is generally computed as the difference between: (a) the aggregate of: (1) the fair value of any consideration received; (2) the fair value of any retained noncontrolling investment in the former subsidiary at the date the subsidiary was deconsolidated; and (3) the carrying amount of any noncontrolling interest in the former subsidiary (including any accumulated other comprehensive income attributable to the noncontrolling interest) at the date the subsidiary was deconsolidated and (b) the carrying amount of the former subsidiary's assets and liabilities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1B -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=SL4582445-111684 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DeconsolidationGainOrLossAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The fair value of liabilities assumed in noncash investing or financing activities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4313-108586 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LiabilitiesAssumed1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Investing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3213-108585 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=sre_BlackOakGettyWindMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=sre_CopperMountainSolar3Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=sre_MesquitePowerMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |