Variable Interest Entities	6 Months Ended
Variable Interest Entities	Jun. 30, 2012
Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Abstract]
Variable Interest Entities	Variable Interest Entities Variable Interest in VIEs that are not Consolidated Power Purchase Contracts SCE has 16 power purchase agreements ("PPAs") that have variable interests in VIEs, including 6 tolling agreements through which SCE provides the natural gas to fuel the plants and 10 contracts with qualifying facilities ("QFs") that contain variable pricing provisions based on the price of natural gas. SCE has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of these VIEs since it does not control the commercial and operating activities of these entities. In general, because payments for capacity are the primary source of income, the most significant economic activity for these VIEs is the operation and maintenance of the power plants. As of the balance sheet date, the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in SCE's consolidated balance sheet that relate to its involvement with VIEs result from amounts due under the PPAs or the fair value of those derivative contracts. Under these contracts, SCE recovers the costs incurred through demonstration of compliance with its CPUC-approved long-term power procurement plans. SCE has no residual interest in the entities and has not provided or guaranteed any debt or equity support, liquidity arrangements, performance guarantees or other commitments associated with these contracts other than the purchase commitments described in Note 9. As a result, there is no significant potential exposure to loss as a result of SCE's involvement with these VIEs. The aggregate capacity dedicated to SCE for these VIE projects was 3,820 MW at June 30, 2012 and the amounts that SCE paid to these projects were $57 million and $83 million for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and $134 million and $169 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. These amounts are recoverable in customer rates, subject to reasonableness review. Unconsolidated Trust In May 2012, SCE Trust I issued 5.625% trust securities cumulative, liquidation amount of $25 per share ($475 million aggregate liquidation preference) to the public and $10,000 of common stock (100%) to SCE. The trust invested the proceeds of these trust securities in Series F Preference Stock issued by SCE in the principal amount of $475 million (cumulative, $2,500 per share liquidation value) and which have substantially the same payment terms as the trust securities. The trust securities or the Series F Preference Stock do not have a maturity date. Upon any redemption of the Series F Preference Stock, a corresponding dollar amount of trust securities will be redeemed (for further information see Note 12). SCE Trust I will pay dividends at the same rate and on the same dates on the trust securities when, and if the SCE board of directors declare and make dividend payments on the Series F Preference Stock. The trust will use the dividends, if any, it receives on the Series F Preference Stock to make its corresponding dividends on the trust securities. If SCE does not make dividend payments to the trust, SCE would be prohibited from paying dividends on its common stock. SCE has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment of trust securities and also its dividend payments, if and when, SCE pays dividends on the Series F Preference Stock. SCE Trust I was formed for the exclusive purpose of issuing trust preference securities (“trust securities”). The trust is a VIE. SCE has concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of this VIE as it does not have the obligation to absorb the expected losses or the right to receive the expected residual returns of the trust. The trust's balance sheet as of June 30, 2012 consisted of an investment of $475 million in the preference stock, $475 million of trust securities and $10,000 of common stock. The trust's income statement for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 consisted of dividend income and accrued dividend payments of $3 million.

Entire disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide.

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