Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenue:
Regulated	$ 7,660	$ 8,874	$ 8,056
Non-regulated	7,303	8,272	7,835
Total revenue	14,963	17,146	15,891
Cost of sales:
Regulated	(6,564)	(7,530)	(6,837)
Non-regulated	(5,533)	(6,528)	(5,807)
Total cost of sales	(12,097)	(14,058)	(12,644)
Operating margin	2,866	3,088	3,247
General and administrative expenses	(196)	(187)	(220)
Interest expense	(1,436)	(1,471)	(1,482)
Interest income	524	365	275
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(186)	(261)	(229)
Other expense	(65)	(68)	(76)
Other income	83	124	125
Gain on sale of businesses	29	358	26
Goodwill impairment expense	(317)	(164)	(372)
Asset impairment expense	(285)	(91)	(95)
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)	105	11	(22)
Other non-operating expense	0	(128)	(129)
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES	1,122	1,576	1,048
Income tax expense	(465)	(419)	(343)
Net equity in earnings of affiliates	105	19	25
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	762	1,176	730
Income (loss) from operations of discontinued businesses, net of income tax expense of $0, $23, and $24, respectively	0	27	(27)
Net loss from disposal and impairments of discontinued operations, net of income tax expense (benefit) of $0, $4, and $(15), respectively	0	(56)	(152)
NET INCOME	762	1,147	551
Noncontrolling interests:
Less: (Income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	(456)	(387)	(446)
Plus: Loss from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	9	9
Total net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(456)	(378)	(437)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION	306	769	114
AMOUNTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS:
Income from continuing operations, net of tax	306	789	284
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(20)	(170)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION	$ 306	$ 769	$ 114
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	$ 0.45	$ 1.10	$ 0.38
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	0.00	(0.03)	(0.23)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	0.45	1.07	0.15
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	0.44	1.09	0.38
Loss from discontinued operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	0.00	(0.03)	(0.23)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	0.44	1.06	0.15
DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE (in dollars per share)	$ 0.41	$ 0.25	$ 0.17