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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Sep. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
MW
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
MW
project
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
MW
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill impairment expense   $ 164,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss $ 372,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss $ 1,817,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss        
Production Capacity (MW)   2,072aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts     2,072aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts      
Goodwill   3,896,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross 3,954,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross 3,959,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross 3,896,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross   3,954,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross  
Effective tax rate 21.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations        
Amortization of intangible assets   26,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 29,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 115,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets        
Buffalo Gap                
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill impairment expense         10,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_BuffaloGapMember
18,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_BuffaloGapMember
   
Number of wind projects           3aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_BuffaloGapMember
   
Production Capacity (MW)           524aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_BuffaloGapMember
   
DPLER                
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill impairment expense           136,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DplerMember
   
Goodwill           136,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillGross
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DplerMember
   
Goodwill, fair value           0us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DplerMember
   
DP&L                
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill impairment expense       1,820,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
    307,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
 
Goodwill, fair value     316,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
      316,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
 
Effective tax rate     33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_DPLMember
       
Mountain View                
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill impairment expense             7,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_MountainViewMember
 
Number of wind projects     2aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_MountainViewMember
      2aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_MountainViewMember
 
Production Capacity (MW)     67aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_MountainViewMember
      67aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_MountainViewMember
 
Ebute                
Goodwill [Line Items]                
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit         58,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_EbuteMember
     
Goodwill impairment expense               $ 58,000,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_EbuteMember
Production Capacity (MW)               294aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aes_EbuteMember