Business Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues from:
External Customers	$ 3,609,000,000		$ 3,360,000,000		$ 7,339,000,000		$ 6,929,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		0
TOTAL REVENUES	3,609,000,000		3,360,000,000		7,339,000,000		6,929,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	353,000,000		137,000,000		708,000,000		483,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	54,669,000,000				54,669,000,000				53,740,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,605,000,000				18,605,000,000				18,066,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	36,064,000,000				36,064,000,000				35,674,000,000
Total Assets	50,752,000,000				50,752,000,000				50,455,000,000
Utility Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	3,360,000,000		3,186,000,000		6,857,000,000		6,592,000,000
Other Operating Segments	29,000,000		25,000,000		56,000,000		45,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	3,389,000,000		3,211,000,000		6,913,000,000		6,637,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	356,000,000		132,000,000		734,000,000		476,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	53,735,000,000				53,735,000,000				52,822,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,315,000,000				18,315,000,000				17,795,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	35,420,000,000				35,420,000,000				35,027,000,000
Total Assets	48,858,000,000				48,858,000,000				48,780,000,000
Nonutility Operations - AEP River Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	162,000,000		127,000,000		329,000,000		248,000,000
Other Operating Segments	4,000,000		5,000,000		9,000,000		10,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	166,000,000		132,000,000		338,000,000		258,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(1,000,000)		(1,000,000)		6,000,000		2,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	590,000,000				590,000,000				574,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	124,000,000				124,000,000				110,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	466,000,000				466,000,000				464,000,000
Total Assets	647,000,000				647,000,000				621,000,000
Nonutility Operations - Generation and Marketing [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	79,000,000		42,000,000		141,000,000		89,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		1,000,000		0
TOTAL REVENUES	79,000,000		42,000,000		142,000,000		89,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	11,000,000		7,000,000		12,000,000		17,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	591,000,000				591,000,000				584,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	209,000,000				209,000,000				198,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	382,000,000				382,000,000				386,000,000
Total Assets	864,000,000				864,000,000				881,000,000
All Other [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	8,000,000	[1]	5,000,000	[1]	12,000,000	[1]	0	[1]
Other Operating Segments	2,000,000	[1]	(1,000,000)	[1]	3,000,000	[1]	7,000,000	[1]
TOTAL REVENUES	10,000,000	[1]	4,000,000	[1]	15,000,000	[1]	7,000,000	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(13,000,000)	[1]	(1,000,000)	[1]	(44,000,000)	[1]	(12,000,000)	[1]
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	11,000,000	[1]			11,000,000	[1]			11,000,000	[1]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	9,000,000	[1]			9,000,000	[1]			9,000,000	[1]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	2,000,000	[1]			2,000,000	[1]			2,000,000	[1]
Total Assets	15,974,000,000	[1]			15,974,000,000	[1]			15,942,000,000	[1]
Reconciling Adjustments [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	0		0		0		0
Other Operating Segments	(35,000,000)		(29,000,000)		(69,000,000)		(62,000,000)
TOTAL REVENUES	(35,000,000)		(29,000,000)		(69,000,000)		(62,000,000)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	0		0		0		0
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	(258,000,000)	[2]			(258,000,000)	[2]			(251,000,000)	[2]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	(52,000,000)	[2]			(52,000,000)	[2]			(46,000,000)	[2]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	(206,000,000)	[2]			(206,000,000)	[2]			(205,000,000)	[2]
Total Assets	$ (15,591,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (15,591,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (15,769,000,000)	[2],[3]

[1] All Other includes: Parent's guarantee revenue received from affiliates, investment income, interest income and interest expense and other nonallocated costs. Forward natural gas contracts that were not sold with our natural gas pipeline and storage operations in 2004 and 2005. These contracts are financial derivatives which settle and expire in the fourth quarter of 2011. Revenue sharing related to the Plaquemine Cogeneration Facility which ends in the fourth quarter of 2011.

[2] Includes eliminations due to an intercompany capital lease.

[3] Reconciling Adjustments for Total Assets primarily include the elimination of intercompany advances to affiliates and intercompany accounts receivable along with the elimination of AEP's investments in subsidiary companies