Fair Value Measurements - Fair Value of Commodity Derivative Contracts that Include a Significant Unobservable Component (Details) - SOUTHERN Co GAS - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (10)	$ 0
Transfers to Level 3	0	(33)
Transfers from Level 3	3	3
Instruments realized or otherwise settled during period	(2)	(2)
Changes in fair value	14	37
Ending balance	$ 5	$ 5

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) recognized in income from derivative asset (liability) after deduction of derivative liability (asset), measured at fair value on recurring basis using unobservable input (level 3).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19279-110258

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- Definition

Amount of settlements of financial instrument classified as a derivative asset (liability) after deduction of derivative liability, measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19279-110258

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- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as a derivative asset (liability) after deduction of derivative liability (asset) into level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19279-110258

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

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- Definition

Amount of transfers of financial instrument classified as derivative asset (liability) after deduction of derivative liability (asset) out of level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

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- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument classified as derivative asset (liability) after deduction of derivative liability (asset), measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

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