Business Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2012
Revenues from:
External Customers	$ 3,582,000,000		$ 3,551,000,000		$ 7,408,000,000		$ 7,176,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		0
TOTAL REVENUES	3,582,000,000		3,551,000,000		7,408,000,000		7,176,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	339,000,000		363,000,000		703,000,000		753,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	58,357,000,000				58,357,000,000				57,454,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,932,000,000				18,932,000,000				18,691,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	39,425,000,000				39,425,000,000				38,763,000,000
Total Assets	54,979,000,000				54,979,000,000				54,367,000,000
Utility Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	3,246,000,000		3,234,000,000		6,732,000,000		6,596,000,000
Other Operating Segments	32,000,000		24,000,000		63,000,000		47,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	3,278,000,000		3,258,000,000		6,795,000,000		6,643,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	222,000,000		365,000,000		571,000,000		749,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	56,275,000,000				56,275,000,000				55,707,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	18,561,000,000				18,561,000,000				18,344,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	37,714,000,000				37,714,000,000				37,363,000,000
Total Assets	51,841,000,000				51,841,000,000				51,477,000,000
Transmission Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	7,000,000		1,000,000		10,000,000		2,000,000
Other Operating Segments	12,000,000		1,000,000		17,000,000		3,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	19,000,000		2,000,000		27,000,000		5,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	18,000,000		8,000,000		31,000,000		17,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	1,079,000,000				1,079,000,000				748,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	6,000,000				6,000,000				4,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	1,073,000,000				1,073,000,000				744,000,000
Total Assets	1,588,000,000				1,588,000,000				1,216,000,000
Nonutility Operations - AEP River Operations [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	112,000,000		163,000,000		240,000,000		335,000,000
Other Operating Segments	5,000,000		4,000,000		10,000,000		11,000,000
TOTAL REVENUES	117,000,000		167,000,000		250,000,000		346,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(9,000,000)		3,000,000		(11,000,000)		12,000,000
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	638,000,000				638,000,000				636,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	175,000,000				175,000,000				161,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	463,000,000				463,000,000				475,000,000
Total Assets	646,000,000				646,000,000				670,000,000
Nonutility Operations - Generation and Marketing [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	214,000,000		148,000,000		420,000,000		233,000,000
Other Operating Segments	0		0		0		0
TOTAL REVENUES	214,000,000		148,000,000		420,000,000		233,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS)	4,000,000		(5,000,000)		11,000,000		(6,000,000)
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	626,000,000				626,000,000				621,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	261,000,000				261,000,000				246,000,000
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	365,000,000				365,000,000				375,000,000
Total Assets	1,017,000,000				1,017,000,000				1,005,000,000
All Other [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	3,000,000	[1]	5,000,000	[1]	6,000,000	[1]	10,000,000	[1]
Other Operating Segments	1,000,000	[1]	1,000,000	[1]	3,000,000	[1]	3,000,000	[1]
TOTAL REVENUES	4,000,000	[1]	6,000,000	[1]	9,000,000	[1]	13,000,000	[1]
NET INCOME (LOSS)	104,000,000	[1]	(8,000,000)	[1]	101,000,000	[1]	(19,000,000)	[1]
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	8,000,000	[1]			8,000,000	[1]			8,000,000	[1]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	7,000,000	[1]			7,000,000	[1]			7,000,000	[1]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	1,000,000	[1]			1,000,000	[1]			1,000,000	[1]
Total Assets	18,155,000,000	[1]			18,155,000,000	[1]			17,191,000,000	[1]
Reconciling Adjustments [Member]
Revenues from:
External Customers	0		0		0		0
Other Operating Segments	(50,000,000)		(30,000,000)		(93,000,000)		(64,000,000)
TOTAL REVENUES	(50,000,000)		(30,000,000)		(93,000,000)		(64,000,000)
NET INCOME (LOSS)	0		0		0		0
Balance Sheet Information
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	(269,000,000)	[2]			(269,000,000)	[2]			(266,000,000)	[2]
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization	(78,000,000)	[2]			(78,000,000)	[2]			(71,000,000)	[2]
TOTAL PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET	(191,000,000)	[2]			(191,000,000)	[2]			(195,000,000)	[2]
Total Assets	$ (18,268,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (18,268,000,000)	[2],[3]			$ (17,192,000,000)	[2],[3]

[1] All Other includes Parent's guarantee revenue received from affiliates, investment income, interest income and interest expense and other nonallocated costs.

[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.