1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data false 1 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 2 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 3 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 5 Revenues: 3 us-gaap_RevenuesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 6 Revenues (including $(44,170), $(1,151) and $31,662 unrealized gains (losses)) (including $0, $253,001 and $127,083 from affiliates) 4 us-gaap_Revenues us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 1824839000 1824839 false false 2 true true 3393900000 3393900 false false 3 true true 3202528000 3202528 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 7 Expenses: 3 us-gaap_OperatingExpensesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 8 Cost of sales (including $65,961, $(7,405) and $(25,113) unrealized gains (losses)) (including $0, $71,568 and $42,645 from affiliates) 4 us-gaap_CostOfRevenue us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1129249000 1129249 false false 2 false true 1913689000 1913689 false false 3 false true 2040769000 2040769 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Operation and maintenance 4 us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpenses us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 550253000 550253 false false 2 false true 595262000 595262 false false 3 false true 642406000 642406 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 General and administrative 4 us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 100745000 100745 false false 2 false true 121173000 121173 false false 3 false true 134488000 134488 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 Western states litigation and similar settlements 4 rri_WesternStatesLitigationAndSimilarSettlements rri false debit duration monetary Represents charges for Western states litigation and similar settlements. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 0 0 false false 2 false true 37467000 37467 false false 3 false true 22000000 22000 false false Represents charges for Western states litigation and similar settlements. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Gains on sales of assets and emission and exchange allowances, net 4 rri_GainsOnSalesAssetsEmissionExchangeNet rri false credit duration monetary Net gains or losses resulting from the sale or disposal of assets and emission and exchange allowances. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -21913000 -21913 false false 2 false true -92202000 -92202 false false 3 false true -25699000 -25699 false false Net gains or losses resulting from the sale or disposal of assets and emission and exchange allowances. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Goodwill and long-lived assets impairments 4 rri_GoodwillAndLongLivedAssetsImpairments rri false debit duration monetary Loss recognized during the period resulting from write-downs of the carrying amounts of goodwill and long-lived assets to... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 210771000 210771 false false 2 false true 304859000 304859 false false 3 false true 0 0 false false Loss recognized during the period resulting from write-downs of the carrying amounts of goodwill and long-lived assets to fair value. No authoritative reference available. false 14 Depreciation and amortization 4 us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 269191000 269191 false false 2 false true 312642000 312642 false false 3 false true 398691000 398691 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 15 Total operating expense 4 us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2238296000 2238296 false false 2 false true 3192890000 3192890 false false 3 false true 3212655000 3212655 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 16 Operating Income (Loss) 4 us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -413457000 -413457 false false 2 false true 201010000 201010 false false 3 false true -10127000 -10127 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Other Income (Expense): 4 us-gaap_OperatingCostsAndExpensesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 18 Income of equity investment, net 5 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 605000 605 false false 2 false true 1198000 1198 false false 3 false true 4686000 4686 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 19 Debt extinguishments losses 5 rri_DebtExtinguishmentsGainsLosses rri false credit duration monetary Reflects the difference between the fair value of payments made to legally extinguish a debt and its carrying value at that... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -7501000 -7501 false false 2 false true -2257000 -2257 false false 3 false true -113522000 -113522 false false Reflects the difference between the fair value of payments made to legally extinguish a debt and its carrying value at that time. This item includes associated write-off of amounts previously capitalized as debt issuance costs. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Other, net 5 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -248000 -248 false false 2 false true 4727000 4727 false false 3 false true 4000 4 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 21 Interest expense 5 us-gaap_InterestExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -186296000 -186296 false false 2 false true -199590000 -199590 false false 3 false true -262410000 -262410 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Interest income 5 rri_InterestIncome rri false credit duration monetary Interest earned on temporary cash investments, net margin deposits and other minor interest income-generating activities. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2516000 2516 false false 2 false true 21178000 21178 false false 3 false true 19638000 19638 false false Interest earned on temporary cash investments, net margin deposits and other minor interest income-generating activities. No authoritative reference available. true 23 Total other expense 5 us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -190924000 -190924 false false 2 false true -174744000 -174744 false false 3 false true -351604000 -351604 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 24 Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes 5 rri_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxes rri false credit duration monetary Sum of operating income/loss and nonoperating income/loss before income taxes pertaining to continuing operations. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -604381000 -604381 false false 2 false true 26266000 26266 false false 3 false true -361731000 -361731 false false Sum of operating income/loss and nonoperating income/loss before income taxes pertaining to continuing operations. No authoritative reference available. false 25 Income tax expense (benefit) 5 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -125349000 -125349 false false 2 false true 136532000 136532 false false 3 false true -160100000 -160100 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 26 Loss from Continuing Operations 5 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -479032000 -479032 false false 2 false true -110266000 -110266 false false 3 false true -201631000 -201631 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 27 Income (loss) from discontinued operations 5 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTax us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 881844000 881844 false false 2 false true -629409000 -629409 false false 3 false true 566738000 566738 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 28 Net Income (Loss) 5 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 402812000 402812 false false 2 true true -739675000 -739675 false false 3 true true 365107000 365107 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 29 Basic Earnings (Loss) per Share: 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 30 Loss from continuing operations 4 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerBasicShare us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true -1.36 -1.36 false false 2 true true -0.32 -0.32 false false 3 true true -0.59 -0.59 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 31 Income (loss) from discontinued operations 4 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerBasicShare us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.51 2.51 false false 2 true true -1.81 -1.81 false false 3 true true 1.66 1.66 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 32 Net income (loss) 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.15 1.15 false false 2 true true -2.13 -2.13 false false 3 true true 1.07 1.07 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 33 Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Share: 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 34 Loss from continuing operations 4 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsPerDilutedShare us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true -1.36 -1.36 false false 2 true true -0.32 -0.32 false false 3 true true -0.59 -0.59 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 35 Income (loss) from discontinued operations 4 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromDiscontinuedOperationsNetOfTaxPerDilutedShare us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 2.51 2.51 false false 2 true true -1.81 -1.81 false false 3 true true 1.66 1.66 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 36 Net income (loss) 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.15 1.15 false false 2 true true -2.13 -2.13 false false 3 true true 1.07 1.07 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 3 32 false Thousands UnKnown NoRounding false true