v3.4.0.3

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Details) $ in Thousands |  | 3 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Apr. 28, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) | [1]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, at Carrying Value |  | $ 37,000 |
Reserve for Aliso Canyon costs |  | 302,000 | $ 274,000
Insurance receivable for Aliso Canyon costs |  | 660,000 | 325,000
San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, at Carrying Value |  | 29,000 |
Southern California Gas Company [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, at Carrying Value |  | 6,000 |
Reserve for Aliso Canyon costs |  | 302,000 | 274,000
Insurance receivable for Aliso Canyon costs |  | 660,000 | $ 325,000
Wildfire [Member] | San Diego Gas and Electric Company [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Costs |  | 363,000 |
Potential After-Tax Charge for Nonrecovery of CPUC Regulatory Assets |  | 213,000 |
Portion of Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Related To CPUC Operations |  | 360,000 |
Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility Gas Leak [Member] | Southern California Gas Company [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, at Carrying Value |  | 665,000 |
Liability Insurance Coverage, Maximum |  | 1,000,000 |
Loss Contingency, Number Of Lawsuits | 138 |  |
Number Of Lawsuits Filed In Los Angeles County | 134 |  |
Number Of Lawsuits Filed In San Diego County | 2 |  |
Number Of Lawsuits Filed In US District Court Of Southern District Of California | 2 |  |
Maximum Occupational Safety And Health Penalties |  | 280 |
Civil Penalties Per Day |  | $ 250 |
Proportion Of Total Gas Storage Capacity, Percentage |  | 63.00% |
Net Book Value Of Aliso Canyon Facility |  | $ 415,000 |
Construction Work In Progress Of New Compressor Station |  | $ 180,000 |
Estimated Costs Related To Temporary Relocation Percentage |  | 70.00% |
Estimated Costs Related To Controlling Well And Stopping Leak And Emissions Percentage |  | 15.00% |
[1] | Derived from audited financial statements.

X
- Definition Civil Penalties Per Day. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_CivilPenaltiesPerDay
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Estimated Costs Related To Controlling Well And Stopping Leak And Emissions Percentage. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_EstimatedCostsRelatedToControllingWellAndStoppingLeakAndEmissionsPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Estimated Costs Related To Temporary Relocation Percentage. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_EstimatedCostsRelatedToTemporaryRelocationPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Insurance receivable related to Aliso Canyon costs to be recovered. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_InsuranceReceivableForAlisoCanyonCosts
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Liability Insurance Coverage, Maximum. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_LiabilityInsuranceCoverageMaximum
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_MaximumOccupationalSafetyAndHealthPenalties
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number Of Lawsuits Filed In Los Angeles County. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_NumberOfLawsuitsFiledInLosAngelesCounty
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number Of Lawsuits Filed In San Diego County. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_NumberOfLawsuitsFiledInSanDiegoCounty
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number Of Lawsuits Filed In US District Court Of Southern District Of California. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_NumberOfLawsuitsFiledInUsDistrictCourtOfSouthernDistrictOfCalifornia
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Reserve for Aliso Canyon costs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PayableRelatedToNaturalGasLeak
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Portion of Regulatory Assets Arising From Wildfire Litigation Related To CPUC Operations. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PortionOfRegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationRelatedToCpucOperations
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Potential After-Tax Earnings Impact. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_PotentialAfterTaxEarningsImpact
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Proportion Of Total Gas Storage Capacity Percentage + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_ProportionOfTotalGasStorageCapacityPercentage
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Regulatory assets arising from wildfire litigation costs. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | sre_RegulatoryAssetsArisingFromWildfireLitigationCosts
Namespace Prefix: | sre_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of structure or a modification to a structure under construction. Includes recently completed structures or modifications to structures that have not been placed into service. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition 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. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of loss contingency liability. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The total number of new claims filed pertaining to a loss contingency during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyNewClaimsFiledNumber
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Period end book value of other property, plant and equipment (PPE) owned (but not classified elsewhere) by the public utility. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=sre_SanDiegoGasAndElectricCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=sre_SouthernCaliforniaGasCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=sre_WildfireMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=sre_AlisoCanyonNaturalGasStorageFacilityGasLeakMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |