Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Parent (Guarantees and Letters of Credit) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations maximum exposure, total	552,000,000aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
Obligations number of agreements	31aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Letter of credit, fee range minimum	0.20%
Letter of credit, fee range maximum	2.50%
Guarantees
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations maximum exposure, total	390,000,000
Obligations number of agreements	16
Guarantees \| Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations, Minimum Individual Exposures, Less Than Stated Amount	1,000,000
Obligations, individual exposures (minimum less than $1 million)	53,000,000
Guarantees and Asset Sale Related Indemnities (Combined) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations number of agreements	17
Guarantees and Asset Sale Related Indemnities (Combined) [Member] \| Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations maximum exposure, total	417,000,000
Letter of Credit
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations number of agreements	5
Letters of credit outstanding	61,000,000
Letter of Credit \| Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations, Minimum Individual Exposures, Less Than Stated Amount	1,000,000
Obligations, individual exposures (minimum less than $1 million)	29,000,000
Cash Collateralized Letters Of Credit
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations maximum exposure, total	74,000,000
Obligations number of agreements	9
Cash Collateralized Letters Of Credit \| Parent Company
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Obligations maximum exposure, total	74,000,000
Obligations, Minimum Individual Exposures, Less Than Stated Amount	1,000,000
Obligations, individual exposures (minimum less than $1 million)	47,000,000

The maximum of the per annum range of letter of credit fees as a percent of the outstanding amount.

No definition available.

Name:	aes_LetterOfCreditFeeRangeMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum of the per annum range of letter of credit fees as a percent of the outstanding amount.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_LetterOfCreditFeeRangeMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the Parent Company could be required to make under the obligation or each group of similar obligations before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Obligations, Maximum Individual Exposures

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_ObligationsMaximumIndividualExposures
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Obligations, Minimum Individual Exposures, Less Than Stated Amount

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_ObligationsMinimumIndividualExposuresLessThanStatedAmount
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of agreements under which the Parent Company has contingent contractual obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis=aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis=aes_GuaranteesandAssetSaleRelatedIndemnitiesCombinedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis=us-gaap_GuaranteesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis=us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: