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Regulatory Matters (Tables) (Consumers Energy Company [Member]) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Regulatory Assets and Liabilities |
December 31 |  | End of Recovery or Refund Period |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |
|  |  |  | In Millions |
Regulatory assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Postretirement benefits (Note 12)1 |  | 2011 |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 19 |
Other 2 |  | 2012 |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | — |
Total current regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 19 |
Non-current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Postretirement benefits (Note 12)1 |  | various |  | $ | 1,665 |  |  | $ | 1,364 |
Securitized costs (Note 7)3 |  | 2015 |  |  | 252 |  |  |  | 310 |
MGP sites (Note 5)3 |  | various |  |  | 156 |  |  |  | 58 |
ARO (Note 17)3 |  | various |  |  | 114 |  |  |  | 107 |
Big Rock nuclear decommissioning and related costs 3 |  | n/a |  |  | 85 |  |  |  | 85 |
Electric revenue decoupling mechanism |  | n/a |  |  | 59 |  |  |  | 28 |
Unamortized debt costs 3 |  | various |  |  | 44 |  |  |  | 52 |
Energy optimization plan incentive |  | various |  |  | 26 |  |  |  | 14 |
Stranded costs 2 |  | 2013 |  |  | 23 |  |  |  | 46 |
Gas revenue decoupling mechanism |  | n/a |  |  | 21 |  |  |  | 11 |
Uncollectible expense tracking mechanism 2 |  | 2012 |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 3 |
Other 2 |  | various |  |  | 19 |  |  |  | 15 |
Total non-current regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 2,466 |  |  | $ | 2,093 |
Total regulatory assets |  |  |  | $ | 2,467 |  |  | $ | 2,112 |
Regulatory liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
DOE settlement |  | 2012 |  | $ | 120 |  |  | $ | — |
Self-implemented rate refunds |  | 2011 |  |  | — |  |  |  | 14 |
Refund of revenue in excess of nuclear decommissioning costs |  | 2011 |  |  | — |  |  |  | 7 |
Other |  | 2012 |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 1 |
Total current regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 125 |  |  | $ | 22 |
Non-current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of removal |  | various |  | $ | 1,364 |  |  | $ | 1,311 |
Income taxes, net (Note 13) |  | various |  |  | 181 |  |  |  | 410 |
Renewable energy plan |  | n/a |  |  | 161 |  |  |  | 101 |
ARO (Note 17) |  | various |  |  | 113 |  |  |  | 122 |
Energy optimization plan |  | n/a |  |  | 45 |  |  |  | 34 |
Other |  | various |  |  | 11 |  |  |  | 10 |
Total non-current regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 1,875 |  |  | $ | 1,988 |
Total regulatory liabilities |  |  |  | $ | 2,000 |  |  | $ | 2,010 |
1 | The regulatory asset associated with postretirement benefits is offset partially by liabilities. The net amount is included in rate base, thereby providing a return.
2 | These regulatory assets either are included in rate base (or are expected to be included, for costs incurred subsequent to the most recently approved rate case), thereby providing a return on expenditures, or provide a specific return on investment authorized by the MPSC.
3 | These regulatory assets represent expenditures for which the MPSC has provided, or Consumers expects, recovery without a return on investment.
Schedule of Assets and Liabilities for PSCR and GCR Underrecoveries and Overrecoveries |
December 31 |  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |
|  | In Millions |
Accrued power supply revenue |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 15 |
Accrued rate refunds |  |  | 30 |  |  |  | 19 |
Power Supply Cost Recover (PSCR) [Member] |
Schedule of Reconciliation Filings Pending with MPSC |
PSCR Year |  | Date Filed |  |  | Net Underrecovery |  |  | PSCR Cost of Power Sold |
2010 |  |  | March 2011 |  |  | $ | 15 million |  |  | $ | 1.7 billion |
Gas Cost Recover (GCR) [Member] |
Schedule of Reconciliation Filings Pending with MPSC |
GCR Year |  | Date Filed |  | Net Overrecovery |  |  | GCR Cost of Gas Sold |
2009-2010 |  | June 2010 |  |  | $1 million |  |  |  | $1.3 billion |
2010-2011 |  | June 2011 |  |  | 6 million |  |  |  | 1.2 billion |
2010 Gas Rate Case [Member] |
Schedule Of Annual Rate Increase Authorized And Requested |
Components of the Rate Increase |  | Increase Authorized by the MPSC |  |  | Increase Originally Requested by Consumers |  |  | Difference |
|  | In Millions |
Investment in rate base |  | $ | 29 |  |  | $ | 30 |  |  | $ | (1 | )
Impact of sales declines |  |  | 15 |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | 11 |
Operating and maintenance costs |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 16 |  |  |  | (14 | )
Cost of capital |  |  | (15 | ) |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | (20 | )
Total |  | $ | 31 |  |  | $ | 55 |  |  | $ | (24 | )

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- Definition Schedule of the components of the annual rate increase authorized and requested. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure for detailed information about regulatory assets and liabilities, including current and noncurrent assets created when regulatory agencies permit the deferral of costs to the balance sheet that would otherwise be required to appear on the company's income statement and would be charged against current expenses or revenues, as well as current and noncurrent liabilities created when regulatory agencies permit. + References No definition available. + Details
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