Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ (103)	$ 79	$ 32	$ 228
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	659	693	660	698
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	$ (0.16)	$ 0.11	$ 0.05	$ 0.33
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units			$ 0	$ 0
Stock options (Shares)			0	1
Restricted stock units (Shares)	0	2	2	2
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share			$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Diluted Earnings Per Share (Income)	$ (103)	$ 79	$ 32	$ 228
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share	$ (0.16)	$ 0.11	$ 0.05	$ 0.33
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ (0.73)	$ 0.10	$ (0.54)	$ 0.30
Equity Option [Member]
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units			$ 0	$ 0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	5
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	15		15	15
Stock Compensation Plan [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount			8	6
Weighted Average [Member] \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	3

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Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

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The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

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