Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details) $ / shares in Thousands, ton in Millions, MW in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW ton Facility	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW ton Facility	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW ton Facility	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW ton Facility	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MW ton Facility Segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Organization (additional details) [Abstract]
Annual processing capacity | ton		20								20	20	20	20
Number of Operate and/or ownership positions in energy generation facilities | Facility		42								42	42	42	42
Number of Operate and/or ownership positions in energy generation facilities | Facility		5								5	5	5	5
Annual generation capacity of megawatt hours | MW		10								10	10	10	10
Number of Reportable Segments												1	1
Segment Reporting, Additional Information about Entity's Reportable Segments										North America, which is comprised of waste and energy services operations located primarily in the United States and Canada.
Pass Through Costs [Abstract]
Pass through costs											$ 41			$ 52	$ 59
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		$ 56				$ 77				$ 56	56	$ 56	$ 56	77
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		54				83				54	54	54	54	83
Deferred Revenue [Abstract]
Deferred Revenue, Current		16				13				16	16	16	16	13
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Land		29				22				29	29	29	29	22
Facilities And Equipment Gross		4,188				3,885				4,188	4,188	4,188	4,188	3,885
Landfill Gross		63				64				63	63	63	63	64
Construction in Progress, Gross		433				266				433	433	433	433	266
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross		4,713				4,237				4,713	4,713	4,713	4,713	4,237
Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment		(1,689)				(1,547)				(1,689)	(1,689)	(1,689)	(1,689)	(1,547)
Property, plant and equipment, net		3,024				2,690				3,024	3,024	3,024	3,024	2,690
Depreciation											185			177	191
Capital Expenditures Incurred but Not yet Paid											41			26
Asset Retirement Obligation [Abstract]
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Settled		25				30				25	25	25	25	30	28
Asset Retirement Obligation, Accretion Expense											2			2
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Incurred	[1]										(7)			0
Asset Retirement Obligation, Current		0				(3)				0	0	0	0	(3)
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent		25				27				25	25	25	25	27
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(62)				(34)				(62)	(62)	(62)	(62)	(34)	(22)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax											(23)			(12)
Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax											(5)			0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax											(28)			(12)
Net unrealized (loss) gain on derivative instruments, net of tax (benefit) expense of $(8), $7, and $2, respectively											(21)			10	(7)
Foreign currency translation											(7)			(22)	(12)
Gain on asset sales											44			0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest											14			(28)	4
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		8	$ 54	$ (29)	$ (37)	77	$ 34	$ (6)	$ (37)		(4)			68	(2)
Accounting Changes [Abstract]
Net Interest Expense On Project Debt						(1)	3	5	2					9	10
Loss on Contracts														20
Deferred Finance Costs, Current, Net						5								5
Deferred Finance Costs, Noncurrent, Net						20								20
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)		(289)				(143)				(289)	(289)	(289)	(289)	(143)
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption						(45)								(45)
Deferred income taxes		617				595				617	617	617	617	595
Plant operating expenses											1,177			1,129	1,055
Depreciation and amortization expense											207			198	211
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)											22			(84)	15
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		8	$ 54	$ (29)	$ (37)	78	$ 34	$ (6)	$ (37)		(4)			69	(1)
Up-front Payment Arrangement [Member]
Deferred Revenue [Abstract]
Deferred Revenue, Current		5				6				5	5	5	5	6
All Other [Member]
Deferred Revenue [Abstract]
Deferred Revenue, Current		11				7				11	11	11	11	7
Debt Service Funds [Member]
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		11				10				11	11	11	11	10
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		7				8				7	7	7	7	8
Debt Service Funds [Member] | Principal Amount [Member]
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		10				9				10	10	10	10	9
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		7				8				7	7	7	7	8
Debt Service Funds [Member] | Interest Amount [Member]
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		1				1				1	1	1	1	1
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		0				0				0	0	0	0	0
Revenue Funds [Member]
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		3				4				3	3	3	3	4
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		0				0				0	0	0	0	0
Other Funds [Member]
Restricted Funds Held in Trust [Abstract]
Restricted funds held in trust, current		42				63				42	42	42	42	63
Restricted funds held in trust, noncurrent		47				75				$ 47	47	47	47	75
Computer Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Original useful lives for equipment										3 years
Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Original useful lives for equipment										50 years
Scenario, Previously Reported [Member]
Accounting Changes [Abstract]
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)															15
Accounting Standards Update 2014-05 [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment, net															75
Accounting Changes [Abstract]
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)															60
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption															45
Deferred income taxes															30
Plant operating expenses														31
Depreciation and amortization expense														(22)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)														(4)
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest														$ (5)
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted | $ / shares														$ (40)
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect [Member]
Accounting Changes [Abstract]
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Current						67								$ 67
Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(41)				(34)				$ (41)	(41)	(41)	(41)	(34)	(12)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax											(2)			(22)
Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax											(5)			0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax											(7)			(22)
Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment, Net Gain (Loss) Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(2)				(2)				(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)	(2)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax											0			0
Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax											0			0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax											0			0
Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Cash Flow Hedges Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		$ (23)				$ (2)				$ (23)	(23)	$ (23)	$ (23)	(2)	$ (12)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Reclassifications, Net of Tax											(21)			10
Reclassification from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax											0			0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax														$ 10
Net unrealized (loss) gain on derivative instruments, net of tax (benefit) expense of $(8), $7, and $2, respectively											(21)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] | Accumulated Foreign Currency Adjustment Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Gain on asset sales											5
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest											5
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent											5
Accounting Changes [Abstract]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)											$ 0

[1] Comprised primarily of expenditures and settlements of the asset retirement obligation liability, net revisions based on current estimates of the liability and revised expected cash flows and life of the liability.