Debt (Non-Recourse Debt Carrying Amounts and Terms) (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Non Recourse Debt Total	$ 15,600,000,000aes_NonRecourseDebtTotal	$ 15,380,000,000aes_NonRecourseDebtTotal
Non-recourse Debt Current Maturities	(1,982,000,000)aes_NonRecourseDebtCurrent	(2,062,000,000)aes_NonRecourseDebtCurrent
Non-recourse debt - noncurrent, balance at variable interest entities	13,618,000,000aes_NonRecourseDebtNonCurrent	13,318,000,000aes_NonRecourseDebtNonCurrent
Derivative, notional amount	3,000,000,000invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Interest rate swap, fixed minimum interest rate	2.87%
Interest rate swap, fixed maximum interest rate	9.80%
Debt excluded from non-recourse debt and included in current and noncurrent liabilities of held for sale and discontinued businesses	0	658,000,000
Variable Rate Debt \| Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	3.42%
Non Recourse Debt Total	1,893,000,000	2,783,000,000
Variable Rate Debt \| Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	12.06%
Non Recourse Debt Total	1,912,000,000	1,845,000,000
Variable Rate Debt \| Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	2.62%
Non Recourse Debt Total	2,375,000,000	2,446,000,000
Variable Rate Debt \| Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	8.46%
Non Recourse Debt Total	668,000,000	349,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt \| Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.44%
Non Recourse Debt Total	750,000,000	477,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt \| Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.89%
Non Recourse Debt Total	7,654,000,000	7,164,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt \| Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.34%
Non Recourse Debt Total	259,000,000	164,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt \| Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.64%
Non Recourse Debt Total	$ 89,000,000	$ 152,000,000

The maximum of the range of interest rates on variable rate non-recourse debt fixed by interest rate swap agreements.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The minimum of the range of interest rates on variable rate non-recourse debt fixed by interest rate swap agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The current portion of the entity's non-recourse debt. Non-recourse debt is secured by the capital stock, physical assets, contracts and cash flows of the related subsidiary. The risk is limited to the respective subsidiary business and is without recourse to the Parent Company and other subsidiaries.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The amount of non-recourse debt classified as current and long-term liabilities of held for sale and discontinued businesses

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The non-current portion of the entity's non-recourse debt. Non-recourse debt is secured by the capital stock, physical assets, contracts and cash flows of the related subsidiary. The risk is limited to the respective subsidiary business and is without recourse to the Parent Company and other subsidiaries.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Non-recourse debt is secured by the capital stock, physical assets, contracts and cash flows of the related subsidiary. The risk is limited to the respective subsidiary business and is without recourse to the Parent Company and other subsidiaries.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 12

-Section 13

-Sentence Column B

+ Details

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- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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