Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 74	$ 254
Adjustments to net income:
Depreciation and amortization	290	298
Gain on sale of businesses	(47)	(1)
Impairment expenses	161	8
Deferred income taxes	31	(12)
(Reversals of) provisions for contingencies	(1)	14
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt	(4)	23
Other	(3)	65
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	37	(337)
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(24)	(35)
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	274	68
(Increase) decrease in other assets	(21)	(290)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(72)	273
Increase (decrease) in income tax payables, net and other tax payables	(148)	(15)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	93	124
Net cash provided by operating activities	640	437
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(640)	(619)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(6)	(17)
Proceeds from the sale of businesses, net of cash sold	115	0
Sale of short-term investments	1,603	1,076
Purchase of short-term investments	(1,708)	(1,054)
Decrease (increase) in restricted cash, debt service reserves and other assets	96	(75)
Other investing	(8)	(31)
Net cash used in investing activities	(548)	(720)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under the revolving credit facilities	248	101
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(116)	(62)
Repayments of recourse debt	(116)	(336)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	161	574
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(248)	(269)
Payments for financing fees	(11)	(9)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(78)	(19)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	28	67
Proceeds from the sale of redeemable stock of subsidiaries	134	247
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(73)	(70)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(10)	(42)
Purchase of treasury stock	(79)	(35)
Other financing	(20)	(34)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(180)	113
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	7	(27)
Increase (decrease) in cash of held-for-sale businesses	4	(5)
Total decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(77)	(202)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning	1,262	1,539
Cash and cash equivalents, ending	1,185	1,337
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	228	242
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	182	103
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Assets acquired through capital lease and other liabilities	3	5
Dividends declared but not yet paid	$ 75	$ 0