XML 27 R25.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.6

Contingencies and Commitments (Tables) | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2012
Guarantees |
In Millions |
Guarantee Description |  | Issue Date |  | Expiration Date |  | Maximum Obligation |  |  | Carrying Amount |
CMS ENERGY, INCLUDING CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Indemnity obligations from asset sales and other agreements |  | Various |  | Various through September 2029 |  |  | $ 512 | 1 |  |  | $ 16 |
Guarantees and put options 2 |  | Various |  | Various through March 2021 |  |  | 60 |  |  |  | 1 |
CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Indemnity obligations and other guarantees |  | Various |  | Various through September 2029 |  |  | $ 30 |  |  |  | $ 1 |
| 1 | The majority of this amount arises from stock and asset sale agreements under which CMS Energy or a subsidiary of CMS Energy, other than Consumers, indemnified the purchaser for losses resulting from various matters, including claims related to tax disputes, claims related to power purchase agreements, and defects in title to the assets or stock sold to the purchaser by CMS Energy subsidiaries. Except for items described elsewhere in this Note, CMS Energy believes the likelihood of material loss to be remote for the indemnity obligations not recorded as liabilities.
| 2 | At March 31, 2012, the carrying amount of CMS Land's put option agreements with certain Bay Harbor property owners was $1 million. If CMS Land is required to purchase a Bay Harbor property under a put option agreement, it may sell the property to recover the amount paid under the put option agreement.
Consumers Energy Company [Member] |
Expected Remediation Cost By Year |
In Millions |
|  | 2012 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2016 |
CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Remediation and other response activity costs |  |  | $ 11 |  |  |  | $ 11 |  |  |  | $ 11 |  |  |  | $ 20 |  |  |  | $ 11 |
Guarantees |
In Millions |
Guarantee Description |  | Issue Date |  | Expiration Date |  | Maximum Obligation |  |  | Carrying Amount |
CMS ENERGY, INCLUDING CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Indemnity obligations from asset sales and other agreements |  | Various |  | Various through September 2029 |  |  | $ 512 | 1 |  |  | $ 16 |
Guarantees and put options 2 |  | Various |  | Various through March 2021 |  |  | 60 |  |  |  | 1 |
CONSUMERS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Indemnity obligations and other guarantees |  | Various |  | Various through September 2029 |  |  | $ 30 |  |  |  | $ 1 |
| 1 | The majority of this amount arises from stock and asset sale agreements under which CMS Energy or a subsidiary of CMS Energy, other than Consumers, indemnified the purchaser for losses resulting from various matters, including claims related to tax disputes, claims related to power purchase agreements, and defects in title to the assets or stock sold to the purchaser by CMS Energy subsidiaries. Except for items described elsewhere in this Note, CMS Energy believes the likelihood of material loss to be remote for the indemnity obligations not recorded as liabilities.
| 2 | At March 31, 2012, the carrying amount of CMS Land's put option agreements with certain Bay Harbor property owners was $1 million. If CMS Land is required to purchase a Bay Harbor property under a put option agreement, it may sell the property to recover the amount paid under the put option agreement.

X
- Definition The expected remediation costs to be incurred over the next five years. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cms_ExpectedRemediationCostsByYearTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | cms_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of each guarantee obligation, or each group of similar guarantee obligations, including (a) the nature of the guarantee, including its term, how it arose, and the events or circumstances that would require the guarantor to perform under the guarantee; (b) the maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee; (c) the current carrying amount of the liability, if any, for the guarantor's obligations under the guarantee; and (d) the nature of any recourse provisions under the guarantee, and any assets held either as collateral or by third parties, and any relevant related party disclosure. Excludes disclosures about product warranties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12265-110248 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9, 10, 11, 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 45 -Paragraph 13, 16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfGuaranteeObligationsTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration