Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Gains and Losses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Cash Flow Hedges [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	$ (32)	$ (106)	$ (30)	$ (9)
Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0	0	(1)	0
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Derivative Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion)	(29)	(107)	(37)	(12)
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Derivative Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion)	(2)	(3)	(2)	(21)
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Interest Expense [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	(2)	(2)	(4)	(3)
Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0	0	(1)	0
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Cross Currency Swaps [Member] \| Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Derivative Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion)	(27)	(104)	(35)	9
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Cross Currency Swaps [Member] \| Interest Expense [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	(1)	(1)	0	0
Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0	0	0	0
Cash Flow Hedges [Member] \| Cross Currency Swaps [Member] \| Other Income (Expense) Net [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	(29)	(103)	(26)	(6)
Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative (Ineffective Portion and Amount Excluded from Effectiveness Testing)	0	0	0	0
Net Investment Hedges [Member] \| Foreign Currency Contracts [Member] \| Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Derivative Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI (Effective Portion)	0	1	0	4
Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative	(114)	169	(159)	227
Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Foreign Currency Contracts [Member] \| Other Income (Expense) Net [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative	(113)	171	(156)	231
Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Regulatory Assets Noncurrent [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized as regulatory liabilities/assets	(1)	(3)	1	(9)
Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Interest Expense [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Regulatory Assets Noncurrent [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized as regulatory liabilities/assets	(1)	(3)	1	(9)
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Interest Expense [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Regulatory Assets Noncurrent [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized as regulatory liabilities/assets	(1)	(3)	1	(9)
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member] \| Not Designated As Hedging Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate Swaps [Member] \| Interest Expense [Member]
Amounts Included in Income, OCI or Regulatory Liabilities/Assets [Abstract]
Gain (loss) recognized in income on derivative	$ (1)	$ (2)	$ (3)	$ (4)

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The amount of gain (loss) recognized as regulatory assets/liabilities during the period on derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments and not designated as hedging instruments for which regulatory treatment is being applied.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the fair value of derivatives recognized in the income statement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5618551-113959

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
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The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624177-113959

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The portion of gains and losses (net) on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments representing (a) the amount of the hedge ineffectiveness and (b) the amount, if any, excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6886632&loc=d3e76258-113986

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- Definition

The effective portion of gains and losses (net) on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments that was recognized in other comprehensive income during the current period.

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