Name:	tcp_IncentiveDistributionRightsLimitedLiabilityCompanyOrLimitedPartnershipManagingMemberOrGeneralPartnerOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	tcp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

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The number of units or percentage investment held by one or more members or limited partners of the LLC or LP.

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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Period Type:	duration

The number of limited partner units outstanding.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187171-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 272
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70434-108055

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 4
-Section F

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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.

No definition available.

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Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=tcp_UnaffiliatedThirdPartiesMember
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Data Type:	na
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Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=tcp_TCPipeLinesGeneralPartnershipIncorporatedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Name:	us-gaap_PartnerTypeOfPartnersCapitalAccountAxis=us-gaap_GeneralPartnerMember
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Data Type:	na
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Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=tcp_TransCanadaCorporationAndAllSubsidiariesMember
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Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=tcp_TransCanadaCorporationAndSubsidiariesExcludingGeneralPartnerSubsidiariesMember
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