Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]	Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Revenue from Contracts with Customers. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2018 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method and applied the new standard only to contracts that were not completed at the date of initial application. The Company determined it was not necessary to change the timing or amounts of revenue recognized based on the adoption of Topic 606. Therefore, financial statement amounts in the period of adoption have not changed under Topic 606 as compared with the guidance that was in effect before the adoption of Topic 606. The adoption did change financial statement presentation as Operating Revenues are now separated between Revenues from Contracts with Customers and Revenues from Alternative Revenue Programs on the 2018 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income. In addition, gains and losses associated with OG&E's guaranteed flat bill program that were previously included in Net Other Income on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income are now considered Revenues from Contracts with Customers and are presented as such since the gains and losses are included within the transaction price in the contract under Topic 606. Operating Revenues on the 2017 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income did not change from what had been disclosed in prior year. Alternative revenue programs are scoped out of Topic 606, as these programs are considered agreements between an entity and a regulator, not contracts between an entity and a customer; therefore, the Company now presents revenues from alternative revenue programs separately from revenues from contracts with customers. Further discussion regarding revenue recognized through alternative revenue programs as well as additional disclosures resulting from the Company's adoption of Topic 606 can be found in Note 3. Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets. In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, "Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets." ASC 610-20 was issued as part of ASU 2014-09 and was added to provide guidance for recognizing gains and losses from the transfer of nonfinancial assets in contracts with non-customers. The new guidance clarifies the application of the guidance in Topic 606 for the derecognition of nonfinancial assets and unifies guidance related to partial sales of nonfinancial assets. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018, which did not have a material effect on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost." The new guidance is designed to improve the reporting of pension and other postretirement benefit costs by bifurcating the components of net benefit cost between those that are attributed to compensation for service and those that are not. The service cost component of benefit cost continues to be presented within operating income, but entities are now required to present the other components of benefit cost as non-operating within the income statement. Additionally, the new guidance only permits the capitalization of the service cost component of net benefit cost. The accounting change is required to be applied on a retrospective basis for the presentation of components of net benefit cost and on a prospective basis for the capitalization of only the service cost component of net benefit costs. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018. The presentation and recognition impacts of the Company's adoption of ASU 2017-07 are further discussed in Note 11. Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." The new guidance, among other things, requires entities to measure equity instruments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Further, an entity has the option to measure equity instruments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018, which did not have a material effect on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)." The main difference between current lease accounting and Topic 842 is the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under current accounting guidance. Lessees, such as the Company, will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all of their leases, other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, Topic 842 retains a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense, while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern, similar to current capital leases. Classification of operating and finance leases will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease guidance but without the explicit thresholds. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 2018. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method and provides for certain practical expedients. Transition will require application of the new guidance at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. The Company has started evaluating its current lease contracts. The Company has not quantified the impact on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, but it anticipates an increase in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities. In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-01, "Leases (Topic 842): Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842," which is an amendment to ASU 2016-02. Land easements (also commonly referred to as rights of way) represent the right to use, access or cross another entity's land for a specified purpose. This new guidance permits an entity to elect a transitional practical expedient, to be applied consistently, to not evaluate under Topic 842 land easements that exist or expired before the entity's adoption of Topic 842 and that were not previously accounted for as leases under ASC 840, "Leases." Once Topic 842 is adopted, an entity is required to apply Topic 842 prospectively to all new (or modified) land easements to determine whether the arrangement should be accounted for as a lease. ASU 2018-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 2018. The Company intends to elect this practical expedient during its adoption of Topic 842 and will not evaluate all existing easement contracts under Topic 842, as these contracts have not previously been accounted for under Topic 840.

Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Revenue from Contracts with Customers. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)." The Company adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2018 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method and applied the new standard only to contracts that were not completed at the date of initial application. The Company determined it was not necessary to change the timing or amounts of revenue recognized based on the adoption of Topic 606. Therefore, financial statement amounts in the period of adoption have not changed under Topic 606 as compared with the guidance that was in effect before the adoption of Topic 606. The adoption did change financial statement presentation as Operating Revenues are now separated between Revenues from Contracts with Customers and Revenues from Alternative Revenue Programs on the 2018 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income. In addition, gains and losses associated with OG&E's guaranteed flat bill program that were previously included in Net Other Income on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income are now considered Revenues from Contracts with Customers and are presented as such since the gains and losses are included within the transaction price in the contract under Topic 606. Operating Revenues on the 2017 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income did not change from what had been disclosed in prior year. Alternative revenue programs are scoped out of Topic 606, as these programs are considered agreements between an entity and a regulator, not contracts between an entity and a customer; therefore, the Company now presents revenues from alternative revenue programs separately from revenues from contracts with customers. Further discussion regarding revenue recognized through alternative revenue programs as well as additional disclosures resulting from the Company's adoption of Topic 606 can be found in Note 3.

Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets. In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, "Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20): Clarifying the Scope of Asset Derecognition Guidance and Accounting for Partial Sales of Nonfinancial Assets." ASC 610-20 was issued as part of ASU 2014-09 and was added to provide guidance for recognizing gains and losses from the transfer of nonfinancial assets in contracts with non-customers. The new guidance clarifies the application of the guidance in Topic 606 for the derecognition of nonfinancial assets and unifies guidance related to partial sales of nonfinancial assets. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018, which did not have a material effect on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost." The new guidance is designed to improve the reporting of pension and other postretirement benefit costs by bifurcating the components of net benefit cost between those that are attributed to compensation for service and those that are not. The service cost component of benefit cost continues to be presented within operating income, but entities are now required to present the other components of benefit cost as non-operating within the income statement. Additionally, the new guidance only permits the capitalization of the service cost component of net benefit cost. The accounting change is required to be applied on a retrospective basis for the presentation of components of net benefit cost and on a prospective basis for the capitalization of only the service cost component of net benefit costs. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018. The presentation and recognition impacts of the Company's adoption of ASU 2017-07 are further discussed in Note 11.

Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." The new guidance, among other things, requires entities to measure equity instruments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Further, an entity has the option to measure equity instruments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. The Company adopted the new guidance beginning in the first quarter of 2018, which did not have a material effect on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Leases. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)." The main difference between current lease accounting and Topic 842 is the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under current accounting guidance. Lessees, such as the Company, will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for virtually all of their leases, other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, Topic 842 retains a dual model, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense, while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern, similar to current capital leases. Classification of operating and finance leases will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease guidance but without the explicit thresholds. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 2018. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method and provides for certain practical expedients. Transition will require application of the new guidance at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. The Company has started evaluating its current lease contracts. The Company has not quantified the impact on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, but it anticipates an increase in the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.

In January 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-01, "Leases (Topic 842): Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842," which is an amendment to ASU 2016-02. Land easements (also commonly referred to as rights of way) represent the right to use, access or cross another entity's land for a specified purpose. This new guidance permits an entity to elect a transitional practical expedient, to be applied consistently, to not evaluate under Topic 842 land easements that exist or expired before the entity's adoption of Topic 842 and that were not previously accounted for as leases under ASC 840, "Leases." Once Topic 842 is adopted, an entity is required to apply Topic 842 prospectively to all new (or modified) land easements to determine whether the arrangement should be accounted for as a lease. ASU 2018-01 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 2018. The Company intends to elect this practical expedient during its adoption of Topic 842 and will not evaluate all existing easement contracts under Topic 842, as these contracts have not previously been accounted for under Topic 840.