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Retirement Benefits (Schedule Of SERP Trust Assets, ABO And Contributions) (Details) - DB SERP [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |
ABO | $ 140 | $ 145
Contributions | 25 |
Consumers Energy Company [Member] |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |
ABO | 97 | 99
Contributions | 17 |
DB SERP Trust Assets [Member] |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |
Trust assets | 148 | 131
DB SERP Trust Assets [Member] | Consumers Energy Company [Member] |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |
Trust assets | $ 106 | $ 93

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- Definition Contributions made to the plan Trust fund. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition For defined benefit pension plans, the actuarial present value of benefits (whether vested or nonvested) attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered before a specified date and based on employee service and compensation (if applicable) before that date. The accumulated benefit obligation differs from the projected benefit obligation in that it includes no assumption about future compensation levels. For plans with flat-benefit or nonpay-related pension benefit formulas, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Accumulated Benefit Obligation -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503844 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- 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
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- Definition Assets, usually stocks, bonds, and other investments, that have been segregated and restricted (usually in a trust) to provide benefits, at their fair value as of the measurement date. Plan assets include amounts contributed by the employer (and by employees for a contributory plan) and amounts earned from investing the contributions, less benefits paid. If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those non-benefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 30 -Section 35 -Paragraph 50 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49178875&loc=d3e12355-114930 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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