v3.2.0.727

Assets and Liabilities with Recurring Fair Value Measurements Fair Value Hierarchy (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Jun. 30, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
--- | --- | ---
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] |  |  |
Cash equivalents | [1] | $ 577 | $ 896
Margin deposits | [2] | 103 | 96
Commodity futures contracts |  | 1,684 | 2,134
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 557 | 359
Interest Rate Derivative Assets, Fair Value |  | 3 | 4
Total assets |  | 2,924 | 3,489
Margin deposits held by us posted by our counterparties | [2],[4] | 53 | 47
Commodity futures contracts |  | 1,506 | 1,870
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 249 | 242
Interest Rate Derivative Liabilities At Fair Value |  | 105 | 114
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure |  | 1,913 | 2,273
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] |  |  |
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] |  |  |
Cash equivalents | [1] | 577 | 896
Margin deposits |  | 103 | 96
Commodity futures contracts |  | 1,684 | 2,134
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 0 | 0
Interest Rate Derivative Assets, Fair Value |  | 0 | 0
Total assets |  | 2,364 | 3,126
Margin deposits held by us posted by our counterparties |  | 53 | 47
Commodity futures contracts |  | 1,506 | 1,870
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 0 | 0
Interest Rate Derivative Liabilities At Fair Value |  | 0 | 0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure |  | 1,559 | 1,917
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] |  |  |
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] |  |  |
Cash equivalents | [1] | 0 | 0
Margin deposits |  | 0 | 0
Commodity futures contracts |  | 0 | 0
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 284 | 195
Interest Rate Derivative Assets, Fair Value |  | 3 | 4
Total assets |  | 287 | 199
Margin deposits held by us posted by our counterparties |  | 0 | 0
Commodity futures contracts |  | 0 | 0
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 219 | 163
Interest Rate Derivative Liabilities At Fair Value |  | 105 | 114
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure |  | 324 | 277
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] |  |  |
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items] |  |  |
Cash equivalents | [1] | 0 | 0
Margin deposits |  | 0 | 0
Commodity futures contracts |  | 0 | 0
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 273 | 164
Interest Rate Derivative Assets, Fair Value |  | 0 | 0
Total assets |  | 273 | 164
Margin deposits held by us posted by our counterparties |  | 0 | 0
Commodity futures contracts |  | 0 | 0
Commodity forward contracts | [3] | 30 | 79
Interest Rate Derivative Liabilities At Fair Value |  | 0 | 0
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure |  | $ 30 | $ 79
[1] | As of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had cash equivalents of $367 million and $679 million included in cash and cash equivalents and $210 million and $217 million included in restricted cash, respectively.
[2] | Balances are subject to master netting arrangements and presented on a gross basis on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. We do not offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty under a master netting arrangement for financial statement presentation, and we do not offset amounts recognized for the right to reclaim, or the obligation to return, cash collateral with corresponding derivative instrument fair values. See Note 6 for further discussion of our derivative instruments subject to master netting arrangements.
[3] | Includes OTC swaps and options.
[4] | Included in other current liabilities on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets.

X
- Definition Commodity Forward Contracts Assets, Fair Value Disclosure + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cpn_CommodityForwardContractsAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | cpn_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Commodity Forward Contracts Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cpn_CommodityForwardContractsLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | cpn_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Commodity Futures Contracts Assets, Fair Value Disclosure + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cpn_CommodityFuturesContractsAssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | cpn_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Commodity Futures Contracts Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | cpn_CommodityFuturesContractsLiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | cpn_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Cash -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Cash Equivalents -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- 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
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringAndNonrecurringBasisLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fair value as of the balance sheet date of interest rate derivative assets, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized as assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeAssetsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value as of the balance sheet date of interest rate derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized as liabilities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InterestRateDerivativeLiabilitiesAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of cash or securities placed with a broker or counterparty as security for a trading or derivatives securities position which was partially obtained with funds provided by the broker dealer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.8,17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_MarginDepositAssets
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition This element represents money paid in advance to protect the provider of a product or service, such as a lessor, against damage or nonpayment by the buyer or tenant (lessee) during the term of the agreement. Such damages may include physical damage to the property, theft of property, and other contractual breaches. Security deposits held may be interest or noninterest bearing. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.15(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_SecurityDepositLiability
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |