Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 721	$ 849
Adjustments to net income:
Depreciation and amortization	880	937
Gain on sale of businesses	(24)	(363)
Impairment expenses	276	304
Deferred income taxes	(8)	83
Releases of contingencies	(91)	(41)
Loss on the extinguishment of debt	165	196
Loss on sale of assets	23	19
Loss on disposals and impairments — discontinued operations	0	51
Other	50	135
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	(314)	(494)
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(11)	(75)
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	377	(12)
(Increase) decrease in other assets	(1,103)	(439)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	238	(14)
Increase (Decrease) in income tax payables, net and other tax payables	(126)	(239)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	452	319
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,505	1,216
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(1,687)	(1,389)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(17)	(728)
Proceeds from the sale of businesses, net of cash sold	96	1,668
Proceeds from the sale of assets	1	29
Sale of short-term investments	3,683	3,335
Purchase of short-term investments	(3,605)	(3,386)
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash, debt service reserves and other assets	(60)	162
Other investing	(50)	(55)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,639)	(364)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under the revolving credit facilities	677	758
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(644)	(744)
Issuance of recourse debt	575	1,525
Repayments of recourse debt	(915)	(2,019)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	3,281	2,253
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(2,468)	(1,639)
Payments for financing fees	(65)	(111)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(182)	(377)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	117	114
Proceeds from the sale of redeemable stock of subsidiaries	461	0
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(209)	(108)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(110)	(360)
Purchase of treasury stock	(408)	(140)
Other financing	(24)	4
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	86	(844)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(40)	(55)
Decrease in cash of discontinued businesses	0	75
Cash at held-for-sale businesses	(14)	0
Total (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(102)	28
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning	1,539	1,642
Cash and cash equivalents, ending	1,437	1,670
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	875	902
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	319	401
SCHEDULE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Assets received upon sale of subsidiaries	0	44
Assets acquired through capital lease	$ 12	$ 13