Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textuals)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) employee facility NOV plant site	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2009 plant
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation	$ 3,900,000,000
Long-lived assets used in producing electric output for sale	$ 21,864,000,000	$ 21,650,000,000
Power and Industrial Projects
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of generating plants operated with ownership interest held | plant	5
Workforce subject to collective bargaining arrangements | Labor force concentration risk
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of employees | employee	5,200
Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation | Power and Industrial Projects
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Long-lived assets used in producing electric output for sale	$ 105,000,000
Equity investments, including note receivable	$ 74,000,000
Impairment loss		0
Other than temporary decline in equity investments		0
Synthetic fuel
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of days after expiration of statutes of limitations	90 days
Maximum potential liability	$ 400,000,000
Reduced emissions fuel guarantees
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of days after expiration of statutes of limitations	90 days
Maximum potential liability	$ 380,000,000
NEXUS pipeline | DTE Gas
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability	$ 242,000,000
Guarantee termination, minimum threshold, period following end of primary term of capacity lease agreements	2 months
NEXUS pipeline | Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability	$ 377,000,000
Percentage of payment obligations due	50.00%
Guarantee termination, minimum threshold, period following end of primary term of capacity lease agreements	2 months
NEXUS pipeline | Vector
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability	$ 7,000,000
Percentage of payment obligations due	50.00%
Guarantee termination, minimum threshold, period following end of primary term of capacity lease agreements	15 years
NEXUS pipeline | Generation Pipeline, LLC
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability	$ 15,000,000
Other guarantees
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum potential liability	64,000,000
Performance surety bonds
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Performance bonds outstanding	$ 76,000,000
Reduction of Carbon Emissions by Early 2020s
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Goal to reduce carbon emissions, percentage	32.00%
Reduction of Carbon Emissions by 2030
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Goal to reduce carbon emissions, percentage	50.00%
Reduction of Carbon Emissions by 2040
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Goal to reduce carbon emissions, percentage	80.00%
DTE Electric
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of power plants in violation | plant			5
Number of NOVs/FOVs | NOV	2
Environmental capital expenditures through prior year end		2,400,000,000
Number of former MGP sites | site	3
Accrued for remediation	$ 8,000,000	7,000,000
Number of permitted engineered ash storage facilities owned | facility	3
Unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation	$ 2,200,000,000
Long-lived assets used in producing electric output for sale	$ 15,658,000,000	15,437,000,000
DTE Electric | Workforce subject to collective bargaining arrangements | Labor force concentration risk
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of employees | employee	2,800
DTE Gas
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former MGP sites | site	14
Accrued for remediation	$ 30,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Amortization period (in years)	10 years
DTE Gas | NEXUS pipeline | DTE Gas
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of payment obligations due	50.00%
DTE Gas | Clean up completed and site closed
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former MGP sites | site	6
DTE Gas | Partial closure complete
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of former MGP sites | site	6
NEXUS | NEXUS pipeline | DTE Gas
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreement term	15 years
NEXUS | NEXUS pipeline | Texas Eastern Transmission, LP
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreement term	15 years
NEXUS | NEXUS pipeline | Vector
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreement term	15 years