Business Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues from:
External Customers	$ 4,333,000,000		$ 4,064,000,000		$ 11,672,000,000		$ 10,993,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		0
TOTAL REVENUES	4,333,000,000		4,064,000,000		11,672,000,000		10,993,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	657,000,000		557,000,000		1,365,000,000		1,040,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	273,000,000		0		273,000,000		0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	930,000,000		557,000,000		1,638,000,000		1,040,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	55,097,000,000				55,097,000,000				53,740,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,680,000,000				18,680,000,000				18,066,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	36,417,000,000				36,417,000,000				35,674,000,000
Total Assets	51,187,000,000				51,187,000,000				50,455,000,000
Utility Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	4,044,000,000		3,876,000,000		10,901,000,000		10,468,000,000
Other Operating Segments	30,000,000		31,000,000		86,000,000		76,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	4,074,000,000		3,907,000,000		10,987,000,000		10,544,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	642,000,000				1,376,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	273,000,000				273,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	915,000,000		541,000,000		1,649,000,000		1,017,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	54,151,000,000				54,151,000,000				52,822,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,380,000,000				18,380,000,000				17,795,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	35,771,000,000				35,771,000,000				35,027,000,000
Total Assets	49,651,000,000				49,651,000,000				48,780,000,000
Nonutility Operations - AEP River Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	177,000,000		147,000,000		506,000,000		395,000,000
Other Operating Segments	6,000,000		7,000,000		15,000,000		17,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	183,000,000		154,000,000		521,000,000		412,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	17,000,000				23,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	17,000,000		14,000,000		23,000,000		16,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	600,000,000				600,000,000				574,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	130,000,000				130,000,000				110,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	470,000,000				470,000,000				464,000,000
Total Assets	647,000,000				647,000,000				621,000,000
Nonutility Operations - Generation and Marketing [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	106,000,000		41,000,000		247,000,000		130,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		1,000,000		0
TOTAL REVENUES	106,000,000		41,000,000		248,000,000		130,000,000
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	8,000,000				20,000,000
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	0				0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	8,000,000		0		20,000,000		17,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	593,000,000				593,000,000				584,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	215,000,000				215,000,000				198,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	378,000,000				378,000,000				386,000,000
Total Assets	883,000,000				883,000,000				881,000,000
All Other [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	6,000,000	[1]	0	[1]	18,000,000	[1]	0	[1]
Other Operating Segments	4,000,000	[1]	3,000,000	[1]	7,000,000	[1]	10,000,000	[1]
TOTAL REVENUES	10,000,000	[1]	3,000,000	[1]	25,000,000	[1]	10,000,000	[1]
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	(10,000,000)	[1]			(54,000,000)	[1]
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	0	[1]			0	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(10,000,000)	[1]	2,000,000	[1]	(54,000,000)	[1]	(10,000,000)	[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	10,000,000	[1]			10,000,000	[1]			9,000,000	[1]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	1,000,000	[1]			1,000,000	[1]			2,000,000	[1]
Total Assets	16,288,000,000	[1]			16,288,000,000	[1]			15,942,000,000	[1]
Reconciling Adjustments [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	0		0		0		0
Other Operating Segments	(40,000,000)		(41,000,000)		(109,000,000)		(103,000,000)
TOTAL REVENUES	(40,000,000)		(41,000,000)		(109,000,000)		(103,000,000)
Income (Loss) Before Extraordinary Item	0				0
EXTRAORDINARY ITEM, NET OF TAX	0				0
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	(55,000,000)	[2]			(55,000,000)	[2]			(46,000,000)	[2]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	(203,000,000)	[2]			(203,000,000)	[2]			(205,000,000)	[2]
Total Assets	$ (16,282,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (16,282,000,000)	[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.