Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company files consolidated income tax returns in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. Federal tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2009 or state and local tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2005. Income taxes are generally allocated to each company in the affiliated group based on its stand-alone taxable income or loss. Federal investment tax credits previously claimed on electric utility property have been deferred and are being amortized to income over the life of the related property. OG&E continues to amortize its Federal investment tax credits on a ratable basis throughout the year. OG&E earns both Federal and Oklahoma state tax credits associated with production from its wind farms. In addition, OG&E and Enogex earn Oklahoma state tax credits associated with their investments in electric generating and natural gas processing facilities which further reduce the Company's effective tax rate. On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law. Among other things, the law included an extension of bonus depreciation for one year for property generally placed in service before January 1, 2014. Because this new law was enacted in 2013, GAAP requires the law to be considered retroactive legislation, the impact of which must be recorded in the period enacted. The impact of the new law was recorded during the first quarter of 2013 in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as an increase in Deferred Tax Liabilities with a corresponding increase in Deferred Tax Assets related to the net operating loss. With additional bonus depreciation in 2013, the amount of net operating loss classified as a Current Deferred Tax Asset is decreased. Accordingly, a portion of the Current Deferred Tax Asset was reclassified to non-current. As previously reported in the Company's 2012 Form 10-K, in January 2013, OG&E learned that a portion of certain Oklahoma investment tax credits previously recognized but not yet utilized may not be available for utilization in future years. During the first quarter of 2013, OG&E recorded a reserve of $7.8 million ($5.1 million after tax) related to a portion of the Oklahoma investment tax credits generated in years prior to 2013 but not yet utilized due to management's determination that it is more likely than not that it will be unable to utilize these credits.

Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

The Company files consolidated income tax returns in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. Federal tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2009 or state and local tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2005. Income taxes are generally allocated to each company in the affiliated group based on its stand-alone taxable income or loss. Federal investment tax credits previously claimed on electric utility property have been deferred and are being amortized to income over the life of the related property. OG&E continues to amortize its Federal investment tax credits on a ratable basis throughout the year. OG&E earns both Federal and Oklahoma state tax credits associated with production from its wind farms. In addition, OG&E and Enogex earn Oklahoma state tax credits associated with their investments in electric generating and natural gas processing facilities which further reduce the Company's effective tax rate.

On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law. Among other things, the law included an extension of bonus depreciation for one year for property generally placed in service before January 1, 2014. Because this new law was enacted in 2013, GAAP requires the law to be considered retroactive legislation, the impact of which must be recorded in the period enacted. The impact of the new law was recorded during the first quarter of 2013 in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements as an increase in Deferred Tax Liabilities with a corresponding increase in Deferred Tax Assets related to the net operating loss. With additional bonus depreciation in 2013, the amount of net operating loss classified as a Current Deferred Tax Asset is decreased. Accordingly, a portion of the Current Deferred Tax Asset was reclassified to non-current.

As previously reported in the Company's 2012 Form 10-K, in January 2013, OG&E learned that a portion of certain Oklahoma investment tax credits previously recognized but not yet utilized may not be available for utilization in future years. During the first quarter of 2013, OG&E recorded a reserve of $7.8 million ($5.1 million after tax) related to a portion of the Oklahoma investment tax credits generated in years prior to 2013 but not yet utilized due to management's determination that it is more likely than not that it will be unable to utilize these credits.