Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	$ 1,975
Amounts Outstanding
Commercial paper issuances	151
Letters of credit outstanding at June 30, 2011	119
Total amounts outstanding	270
Net availability at June 30, 2011	1,705
Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings (Textuals) [Abstract]
Revolving credit facilities syndicated with number of banks	23
Maximum percentage of commitment by bank in any facility	8.25%
Maximum borrowing capacity under financing agreement with its clearing agent after additional issue of letter of credit	115
Additional letter of credit	15
Maximum additional margin financing provided by company	50
Outstanding amount under agreement	23	39
Maximum borrowing capacity under financing agreement with its clearing agent	100
Other outstanding letters of credit which are used for various corporate purposes	35
Maximum funded debt to capitalization ratio		65.00%
Subsidiary One Member
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	275
Amounts Outstanding
Commercial paper issuances	107
Letters of credit outstanding at June 30, 2011	0
Total amounts outstanding	107
Net availability at June 30, 2011	168
Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings (Textuals) [Abstract]
Debt to capitalization ratio two	53.00%
Subsidiary One Member \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2012 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	212
Subsidiary One Member \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	63
Subsidiary One Member \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in May 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	0
Subsidiary One Member \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in August 2015 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	0
Subsidiary Two Member
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	425
Amounts Outstanding
Commercial paper issuances	0
Letters of credit outstanding at June 30, 2011	0
Total amounts outstanding	0
Net availability at June 30, 2011	425
Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings (Textuals) [Abstract]
Debt to capitalization ratio three	46.00%
Subsidiary Two Member \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2012 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	250
Subsidiary Two Member \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	175
Subsidiary Two Member \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in May 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	0
Subsidiary Two Member \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in August 2015 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	0
DTE Energy [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	1,275
Amounts Outstanding
Commercial paper issuances	44
Letters of credit outstanding at June 30, 2011	119
Total amounts outstanding	163
Net availability at June 30, 2011	1,112
Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings (Textuals) [Abstract]
Debt to capitalization ratio	49.00%
DTE Energy [Member] \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2012 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	538
DTE Energy [Member] \| Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	562
DTE Energy [Member] \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in May 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	50
DTE Energy [Member] \| Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in August 2015 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	125
Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2012 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	1,000
Unsecured revolving facility, expiring August 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	800
Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in May 2013 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	50
Unsecured letter of credit facility, expiring in August 2015 [Member]
Availability under combined facilities
Total credit facilities	$ 125

Additional letter of credit.

Name:	dte_AdditionalLetterOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt to capitalization ratio.

+ Details

Name:	dte_DebtToCapitalizationRatioOne
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt to capitalization ratio three.

+ Details

Name:	dte_DebtToCapitalizationRatioThree
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Debt to capitalization ratio two.

+ Details

Name:	dte_DebtToCapitalizationRatioTwo
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of credit amounts outstanding.

+ Details

Name:	dte_LineOfCreditAmountsOutstandingAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility Current Borrowing Capacity.

+ Details

Name:	dte_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacityOne
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum Additional Margin Financing.

+ Details

Name:	dte_MaximumAdditionalMarginFinancing
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum Borrowing capacity under Financing agreement with its clearing agent.

+ Details

Name:	dte_MaximumBorrowingCapacityUnderFinancingAgreementWithItsClearingAgent
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum Borrowing Capacity Under Financing Agreement With Its Clearing Agent After Additional Issue Of Letter Of Credit.

+ Details

Name:	dte_MaximumBorrowingCapacityUnderFinancingAgreementWithItsClearingAgentAfterAdditionalIssueOfLetterOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum funded debt to capitalization ratio.

+ Details

Name:	dte_MaximumFundedDebtToCapitalizationRatio
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum percentage of commitment by bank in any facility.

+ Details

Name:	dte_MaximumPercentageOfCommitmentByBankInAnyFacility
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Revolving credit facilities syndicated with number of banks.

+ Details

Name:	dte_RevolvingCreditFacilitiesSyndicatedWithNumberOfBanks
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Short-Term Credit Arrangements and Borrowings.

+ Details

Name:	dte_ShortTermCreditArrangementsAndBorrowingsTextualsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	dte
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount borrowed under the credit facility as of the balance-sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityAmountOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of current borrowing capacity under the credit facility considering any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed (for example, borrowings may be limited by the amount of current assets), but without considering any amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityCurrentBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current portion of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LinesOfCreditCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current portion of long-term unsecured obligations issued by corporations and other borrowers to investors (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermCommercialPaperCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts at the balance sheet date of short-term borrowings not otherwise specified in the taxonomy having initial terms less than one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherShortTermBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant