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Unconsolidated variable interest entities (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2011 entity | Dec. 31, 2011 Electric utility mW agreement kW | Dec. 31, 2010 Electric utility | Dec. 31, 2009 Electric utility | Dec. 31, 2011 Electric utility AES Hawaii, Inc. (AES Hawaii) | Dec. 31, 2011 Electric utility Kalaeloa Partners, L.P. (Kalaeloa) mW Y | Dec. 31, 2011 Electric utility Hamakua Energy Partners, L.P. (HEP) | Dec. 31, 2011 Electric utility HPOWER | Dec. 31, 2011 Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO) entity | Dec. 31, 2011 Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (HELCO) and Maui Electric Company, Limited (MECO) entity | Dec. 31, 2011 HECO Capital Trust III | Mar. 31, 2004 HECO Capital Trust III Electric utility | Mar. 31, 2004 HECO Capital Trust III Electric utility 2004 Trust Preferred Securities security | Dec. 31, 2011 HECO Capital Trust III Electric utility 2004 Trust Preferred Securities | Dec. 31, 2011 HECO Capital Trust III Electric utility Trust Common Securities | Mar. 31, 2004 HECO Capital Trust III Electric utility Trust Common Securities | Mar. 31, 2004 HECO Capital Trust III Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (HELCO) | Mar. 31, 2004 HECO Capital Trust III Maui Electric Company, Limited (MECO)
Unconsolidated variable interest entities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of 2004 Trust Preferred Securities issued |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Dividend rate on 2004 Trust Preferred Securities (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6.50% |  |  |  |  |
Aggregate Liquidation preference |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 50,000,000 |  |  | $ 1,500,000 |  |
Principal amount of 2004 Debentures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 31,500,000 |  |  |  |  | 10,000,000 | 10,000,000
Investment in 2004 Debentures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 51,500,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balance of Trust Securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 50,000,000 | 1,500,000 |  |  |
Interest income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,400,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend distributions on Trust Preferred Securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common dividend |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100,000 |  |  |  |
Power purchase agreement |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of power purchase agreements (PPAs) |  | 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Power purchase capacity excluding agreements with smaller IPPs (in megawatts) |  | 548 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum capacity of small power production facilities (in kilowatts) |  | 100 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of power purchase from AES Hawaii, Inc. (AES Hawaii), Kalaeloa Partners, L.P. (Kalaeloa), Hamakua Energy Partners, L.P. (HEP) and HPOWER |  | 90.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchases from IPPs | $ 690,000,000 | $ 689,652,000 | $ 548,800,000 | $ 499,804,000 | $ 133,000,000 | $ 310,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 62,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of largest IPP's declining to provide financial information to determine primary beneficiary status | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of entities owning wind farms not required to be consolidated as VIE's |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Minimum potential number of IPP entities consolidated into company in the future |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Power purchase capacity (in megawatts) |  |  |  |  |  | 180 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of years entity entered under power purchase agreement |  |  |  |  |  | 25 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Power purchase capacity that Increases from initial capacity (in megawatts) |  |  |  |  |  | 208 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Represents the entity's aggregate capacity utilized under power purchase agreements (PPAs) excluding power purchase agreements with smaller independent power producers and schedule Q providers. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the entity's increased aggregate capacity from initial capacity, utilized under power purchase agreements (PPAs). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Preferred securities that embody an unconditional obligation requiring the issuer to redeem the securities by transferring the assets at a specified or determinable date (or dates) or upon an event that is certain to occur, that are issued by a trust to outside investors where the trust uses the proceeds of the issuance of those securities to purchase an equivalent amount of junior subordinated debentures or other loans having stated maturities. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Maximum capacity of small power production facilities. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The minimum number of potential IPP's that could be required to be consolidation into the Company in the future based on new financial information provided by IIP's used to determine VIE relationship. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of entities owning wind farms not required to be consolidated as VIEs. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of largest IPP's declining to provide financial information for determining if they are VIE entities and in the Company is the primary beneficiary. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of power purchase from independent power producers of total power purchase capacity. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The value of liquidation preference (or restrictions) of securities that has a preference in involuntary liquidation considerably in excess of the par or stated value of the shares. The liquidation preference is the difference between the preference in liquidation and the par or stated values of the share. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of purchased power charged against earnings for the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.2(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688 + Details
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