Acquisitions - Textual (Details) (USD $)					0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern Power [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Southern Power [Member]	Aug. 27, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Adobe Solar LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Adobe Solar LLC [Member] MW		Apr. 23, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Campo Verde Solar LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Campo Verde Solar LLC [Member] MW		Sep. 28, 2012 Southern Power [Member] Spectrum Nevada Solar Llc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Spectrum Nevada Solar Llc [Member] MW		Apr. 23, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Apex Nevada Solar Llc [Member]	Jun. 29, 2012 Southern Power [Member] Apex Nevada Solar Llc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Southern Power [Member] Apex Nevada Solar Llc [Member] MW
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Power of Solar Polycrystalline Silicon Facility						20	[1],[2]		139	[1],[3]		30	[1],[4]			20	[1]
Beginning Year of Output of Constructed Plant						2014	[2]		2013	[3]		2013	[4]			2012
Life Output Of Plant						20 years	[2]		20 years	[3]		25 years	[4]		25 years	25 years
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000	[2]	$ 136,600,000	$ 136,600,000	[3]		$ 17,600,000	[4]			$ 102,000,000
Business Acquisition Cost of Acquired Entity Purchase Consideration Cash Paid								132,200,000						96,000,000
Construction in Progress, Gross	7,151,000,000	5,989,000,000	9,843,000	24,835,000
Business Acquisition Cost Paid Upon Achievement Of Milestones								4,400,000						6,000,000
Business Acquisition Cost Paid To Other Assets								1,000,000
Business Acquisition Cost Paid At Closing											17,600,000				102,000,000
Business Acquisition Cost of Acquired Entity Purchase Consideration Cash Will Be Paid								$ 355,500,000			$ 104,000,000

[1] megawatt (MW)

[2] This acquisition is expected to occur in spring 2014, and the purchase price is expected to be $100 million.

[3] Under an engineering, procurement, and construction agreement, an additional $355.5 million was paid to a subsidiary of First Solar Inc. to complete the construction of the solar facility.

[4] Under an engineering, procurement, and construction agreement, an additional $104 million was paid to a subsidiary of Sun Edison, LLC to complete the construction of the solar facility.