Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 586	$ 336
Accretion	24	19
Obligations incurred	0	5
Changes in estimated cash flow or settlement date	(84)	235
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates	(9)	(2)
Obligations settled	(29)	(7)
Balance at End of Period	$ 488	586
Minimum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Minimum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Maximum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
Maximum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 535	285
Accretion	22	18
Obligations incurred	0	5
Changes in estimated cash flow or settlement date	(95)	234
Obligations settled	(29)	(7)
Balance at End of Period	433	535
Increase (Decrease) to the asset retirement obligation due to revisions in the amounts and timing of future expected costs related to the closure of CCR impoundments	$ (114)	228
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 175	74
Accretion	7	5
Obligations incurred	0	3
Changes in estimated cash flow or settlement date	(19)	98
Obligations settled	(18)	(5)
Balance at End of Period	145	175
Increase (Decrease) to the asset retirement obligation due to revisions in the amounts and timing of future expected costs related to the closure of CCR impoundments	$ (24)	89
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Balance at Beginning of Period	$ 360	211
Accretion	15	13
Obligations incurred	0	2
Changes in estimated cash flow or settlement date	(76)	136
Obligations settled	(11)	(2)
Balance at End of Period	288	360
Increase (Decrease) to the asset retirement obligation due to revisions in the amounts and timing of future expected costs related to the closure of CCR impoundments	$ (90)	$ 139
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	10 years
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years
Kentucky Utilities Co [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Asset Retirement Obligations Costs [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation [Rollforward]
Regulatory Asset Amortization Period	25 years

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Asset Retirement Obligation
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505190

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) which decreases (increases) asset retirement obligations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationForeignCurrencyTranslationGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesIncurred
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in asset retirement obligations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the asset retirement obligation from changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 35
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392603&loc=d3e7123-110846

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRollForwardAnalysisRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amortization period for the recovery of regulatory asset, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RegulatoryAssetAmortizationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ppl_ScheduleOfRegulatoryItemsWithSharedCharacteristicsAxis=us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ppl_LGAndEAndKUEnergyLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ppl_LouisvilleGasAndElectricCoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ppl_KentuckyUtilitiesCoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: