Significant Accounting Policies and Responsibility for Financial Statements	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies and Responsibility for Financial Statements	Significant Accounting Policies and Responsibility for Financial Statements Financial Statement Preparation In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all normal and recurring accruals and adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, consolidated results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, and consolidated cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could ultimately differ from those estimated. The Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include disclosures for PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. This report uses the term “Company” when discussing matters of common applicability to PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. Discussions regarding only PNMR, PNM, or TNMP are so indicated. Certain amounts in the 2011 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 financial statement presentation. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the annual Consolidated Financial Statements have been condensed or omitted, as permitted under the applicable rules and regulations. Readers of these financial statements should refer to PNMR’s, PNM’s, and TNMP’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto that are included in their respective 2011 Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Weather causes the Company’s results of operations to be seasonal in nature and the results of operations presented in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are not necessarily representative of operations for an entire year. GAAP defines subsequent events as events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. Based on their nature, magnitude, and timing, certain subsequent events may be required to be reflected at the balance sheet date and/or required to be disclosed in the financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events as required by GAAP. Principles of Consolidation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of each of PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include their accounts and those of subsidiaries in which that entity owns a majority voting interest. PNM also consolidates the PVNGS Capital Trust and Valencia. PNM owns undivided interests in several jointly-owned power plants and records its pro-rata share of the assets, liabilities, and expenses for those plants. PNMR shared services' administrative and general expenses, which represent costs that are primarily driven by corporate level activities, are charged to the business segments. These services are billed at cost, except those billed to Optim Energy, which included a profit element. Other significant intercompany transactions between PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include transmission and distribution services; lease, interest, and income tax sharing payments; and dividends paid on common stock. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. See Note 12. Dividends on Common Stock Dividends on PNMR's common stock are declared by its Board. The timing of the declaration of dividends is dependent on the timing of meetings and other actions of the Board. This has historically resulted in dividends considered to be attributable to the second quarter of each year being declared through actions of the Board during the third quarter of the year. The Board declared dividends on common stock considered to be for the second quarter of $0.145 per share in July 2012 and $0.125 in July 2011, which are reflected as being in the second quarter within “Dividends Declared per Common Share” on the PNMR Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The Board declared dividends on common stock for the third quarter of $0.145 per share in September 2012 and $0.125 per share in September 2011, which are reflected as third quarter within "Dividends Declared per Common Share." PNM declared a cash dividend on its common stock to PNMR of $16.8 million in September 2012, which was paid in October 2012, and declared and paid a dividend of $17.7 million in June 2012. PNM declared cash dividends on its common stock to PNMR of $39.1 million in December 2010, which was paid in January 2011, $4.6 million in March 2011, which was paid in April 2011, and $3.6 million in June 2011, which was paid in July 2011. TNMP declared and paid cash dividends to PNMR of $11.0 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and $7.1 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011. TNMP dividends were recorded as reductions of its paid-in-capital.

Significant Accounting Policies and Responsibility for Financial Statements

Financial Statement Preparation

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all normal and recurring accruals and adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, consolidated results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, and consolidated cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could ultimately differ from those estimated. The Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include disclosures for PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. This report uses the term “Company” when discussing matters of common applicability to PNMR, PNM, and TNMP. Discussions regarding only PNMR, PNM, or TNMP are so indicated. Certain amounts in the 2011 Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 financial statement presentation.

These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the annual Consolidated Financial Statements have been condensed or omitted, as permitted under the applicable rules and regulations. Readers of these financial statements should refer to PNMR’s, PNM’s, and TNMP’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto that are included in their respective 2011 Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Weather causes the Company’s results of operations to be seasonal in nature and the results of operations presented in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are not necessarily representative of operations for an entire year.

GAAP defines subsequent events as events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. Based on their nature, magnitude, and timing, certain subsequent events may be required to be reflected at the balance sheet date and/or required to be disclosed in the financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events as required by GAAP.

Principles of Consolidation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of each of PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include their accounts and those of subsidiaries in which that entity owns a majority voting interest. PNM also consolidates the PVNGS Capital Trust and Valencia. PNM owns undivided interests in several jointly-owned power plants and records its pro-rata share of the assets, liabilities, and expenses for those plants.

PNMR shared services' administrative and general expenses, which represent costs that are primarily driven by corporate level activities, are charged to the business segments. These services are billed at cost, except those billed to Optim Energy, which included a profit element. Other significant intercompany transactions between PNMR, PNM, and TNMP include transmission and distribution services; lease, interest, and income tax sharing payments; and dividends paid on common stock. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. See Note 12.

Dividends on Common Stock

Dividends on PNMR's common stock are declared by its Board. The timing of the declaration of dividends is dependent on the timing of meetings and other actions of the Board. This has historically resulted in dividends considered to be attributable to the second quarter of each year being declared through actions of the Board during the third quarter of the year. The Board declared dividends on common stock considered to be for the second quarter of $0.145 per share in July 2012 and $0.125 in July 2011, which are reflected as being in the second quarter within “Dividends Declared per Common Share” on the PNMR Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The Board declared dividends on common stock for the third quarter of $0.145 per share in September 2012 and $0.125 per share in September 2011, which are reflected as third quarter within "Dividends Declared per Common Share."

PNM declared a cash dividend on its common stock to PNMR of $16.8 million in September 2012, which was paid in October 2012, and declared and paid a dividend of $17.7 million in June 2012. PNM declared cash dividends on its common stock to PNMR of $39.1 million in December 2010, which was paid in January 2011, $4.6 million in March 2011, which was paid in April 2011, and $3.6 million in June 2011, which was paid in July 2011. TNMP declared and paid cash dividends to PNMR of $11.0 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and $7.1 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2011. TNMP dividends were recorded as reductions of its paid-in-capital.