Significant Accounting Matters (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Basic and Diluted EPS Calculations
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic, Total	$ 352,000,000	$ 136,000,000	$ 705,000,000	$ 480,000,000
Weighted Average Number Of Shares Outstanding Basic	481,928,494	479,050,774	481,538,549	478,741,871
Total Basic Earnings Per Share Attributable to AEP Common Shareholders	$ 0.73	$ 0.28	$ 1.46	$ 1.00
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of:
Weighted Average Number of Diluted AEP Common Shares Outstanding	482,203,255	479,176,543	481,786,698	479,012,304
Total Diluted Earnings Per Share Attributable to AEP Common Shareholders	$ 0.73	$ 0.28	$ 1.46	$ 1.00
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount			70,050	432,366
Amounts Attributable To AEP Common Shareholders
Net Income	352,000,000	136,000,000	705,000,000	480,000,000
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Minimum Percentage of Equity AEP Provides	5.00%		5.00%
Percentage of DHLCs Debt Guaranteed by Each SWEPCo and CLECO			50.00%
Percentage of Management Fee Received by SWEPCo from DHLC			100.00%
Securitization Bonds	1,755,000,000		1,755,000,000		1,847,000,000
Securitized Transition Assets	1,673,000,000		1,673,000,000		1,742,000,000
Percentage Ownership of "Allegheny Series" by AYE			100.00%
Outstanding options to purchase of common stock, shares			70,050	432,366
Performance Share Units [Member]
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of:
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of Shares	0	0	0	100,000
Dilutive Effect, EPS	0	0	0	0
Stock Options [Member]
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of:
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of Shares	100,000	0	100,000	100,000
Dilutive Effect, EPS	0	0	0	0
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of:
Weighted Average Dilutive Effect of Shares	200,000	100,000	200,000	100,000
Dilutive Effect, EPS	0	0	0	0
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Current Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	85,000,000		85,000,000		92,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Current Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	42,000,000		42,000,000		50,000,000
Current Assets [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	125,000,000		125,000,000		131,000,000
Current Assets [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	1,010,000,000		1,010,000,000		924,000,000
Current Assets [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	197,000,000		197,000,000		214,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Net Property Plant And Equipment [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	127,000,000		127,000,000		173,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Net Property Plant And Equipment [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	140,000,000		140,000,000		139,000,000
Net Property Plant And Equipment [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	0		0		0
Net Property Plant And Equipment [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	0		0		0
Net Property Plant And Equipment [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	0		0		0
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Other Non Current Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	80,000,000		80,000,000		112,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Other Non Current Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	34,000,000		34,000,000		34,000,000
Other Non Current Assets [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	7,000,000		7,000,000		1,000,000
Other Non Current Assets [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	0		0		10,000,000
Other Non Current Assets [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	1,678,000,000		1,678,000,000		1,746,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Total Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	292,000,000		292,000,000		377,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Total Assets [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	216,000,000		216,000,000		223,000,000
Total Assets [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	132,000,000		132,000,000		132,000,000
Total Assets [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	1,010,000,000		1,010,000,000		934,000,000
Total Assets [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
ASSETS
Assets	1,875,000,000		1,875,000,000		1,960,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Current Liabilities [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	76,000,000		76,000,000		79,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Current Liabilities [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	46,000,000		46,000,000		33,000,000
Current Liabilities [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	39,000,000		39,000,000		33,000,000
Current Liabilities [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	925,000,000		925,000,000		886,000,000
Current Liabilities [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	224,000,000		224,000,000		221,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	216,000,000		216,000,000		298,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	170,000,000		170,000,000		190,000,000
Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	78,000,000		78,000,000		85,000,000
Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	1,000,000		1,000,000		1,000,000
Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	1,637,000,000		1,637,000,000		1,725,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Equity [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	0		0		0
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Equity [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	0		0		0
Equity [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	15,000,000		15,000,000		14,000,000
Equity [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	84,000,000		84,000,000		47,000,000
Equity [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	14,000,000		14,000,000		14,000,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member] | Total Liabilities And Equity [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	292,000,000		292,000,000		377,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member] | Total Liabilities And Equity [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	216,000,000		216,000,000		223,000,000
Total Liabilities And Equity [Member] | Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	132,000,000		132,000,000		132,000,000
Total Liabilities And Equity [Member] | AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	1,010,000,000		1,010,000,000		934,000,000
Total Liabilities And Equity [Member] | AEP Texas Central Transition Funding Co [Member]
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Liabilities and Equity	1,875,000,000		1,875,000,000		1,960,000,000
Columbus Southern Power Co [Member]
Basic and Diluted EPS Calculations
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic, Total	66,503,000	52,076,000	132,036,000	103,687,000
Amounts Attributable To AEP Common Shareholders
Net Income	66,503,000	52,076,000	132,036,000	103,687,000
Ohio Power Co [Member]
Basic and Diluted EPS Calculations
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic, Total	75,483,000	37,365,000	175,712,000	129,085,000
Amounts Attributable To AEP Common Shareholders
Net Income	75,483,000	37,365,000	175,712,000	129,085,000
Cleco Power, LLC [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Percentage of VIE Sales of Lignite Produced			50.00%
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member]
Basic and Diluted EPS Calculations
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic, Total	49,978,000	25,375,000	78,666,000	55,250,000
Amounts Attributable To AEP Common Shareholders
Net Income	49,978,000	25,375,000	78,666,000	55,250,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Capital Contribution From Parent [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	8,000,000		8,000,000		6,000,000
Maximum Exposure	8,000,000		8,000,000		6,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	1,000,000		1,000,000		2,000,000
Maximum Exposure	1,000,000		1,000,000		2,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Sabine Mining Co [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
SWEPCo's Total Billings from Sabine or DHLC	30,000,000	30,000,000	64,000,000	73,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | SWEPCo's Guarantee Of Debt [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	0		0		0
Maximum Exposure	54,000,000		54,000,000		48,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Total Investment [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	9,000,000		9,000,000		8,000,000
Maximum Exposure	63,000,000		63,000,000		56,000,000
Southwestern Electric Power Co [Member] | Dolet Hills Lignite Co, LLC [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
SWEPCo's Total Billings from Sabine or DHLC	15,000,000	13,000,000	29,000,000	26,000,000
Percentage of VIE Sales of Lignite Produced			50.00%
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member]
Basic and Diluted EPS Calculations
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic, Total	31,301,000	14,517,000	76,643,000	59,490,000
Amounts Attributable To AEP Common Shareholders
Net Income	31,301,000	14,517,000	76,643,000	59,490,000
Indiana Michigan Power Co [Member] | DCC Fuel [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Payments made by I&M to DCC Fuel	38,000,000	22,000,000	43,000,000	22,000,000
Capital Contribution From Parent [Member] | PATH West Virginia Transmission Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	19,000,000		19,000,000		18,000,000
Maximum Exposure	19,000,000		19,000,000		18,000,000
Retained Earnings [Member] | PATH West Virginia Transmission Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	8,000,000		8,000,000		6,000,000
Maximum Exposure	8,000,000		8,000,000		6,000,000
Total Investment [Member] | PATH West Virginia Transmission Co, LLC [Member]
Investments in and Advance to Affiliates, Subsidiaries, Associates, and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
As Reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet	27,000,000		27,000,000		24,000,000
Maximum Exposure	27,000,000		27,000,000		24,000,000
Protected Cell Of Energy Insurance Services, Inc. [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Insurance Premium Expense to Protected Cell	$ 80,000	$ 254,000	$ 30,000,000	$ 18,000,000
AEP Credit, Inc. [Member]
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Percentage Of Short Term Borrowing Needs In Excess Of Third Party Financings			20.00%