Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions		Total	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Noncontrolling Interest
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013			$ 8.0	$ (1,089.0)	$ 8,443.0	$ (150.0)	$ (2,882.0)	$ 3,321.0
Beginning Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2013			813.3	90.8
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		$ 1,147.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	0.0	769.0	0.0	378.0
Total foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax		(494.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(332.0)	(162.0)
Total change in derivative fair value, net of income tax		(259.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(108.0)	(151.0)
Total pension adjustments, net of income tax		(20.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(4.0)	(16.0)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)		(773.0)					(444.0)	(329.0)
Balance Sheet reclassification related to an equity method investment (1)	[1]		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	40.0	0.0
Disposition of businesses			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(153.0)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(466.0)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	147.0
Dividends declared on common stock			$ 0.0	$ 0.0	(73.0)	(107.0)	0.0	0.0
Purchase of treasury stock (shares)			0.0	21.9
Purchase of treasury stock			$ 0.0	$ (308.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans (Shares)			1.2	(2.0)
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans, net of income tax			$ 0.0	$ 26.0	3.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	29.0	0.0	0.0	173.0
Acquisition of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	7.0	0.0	0.0	(18.0)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014			$ 8.0	$ (1,371.0)	8,409.0	512.0	(3,286.0)	3,053.0
Ending Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			814.5	110.7
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		762.0	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	0.0	306.0	0.0	456.0
Total foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax		(1,019.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(674.0)	(345.0)
Total change in derivative fair value, net of income tax		9.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	43.0	(34.0)
Total pension adjustments, net of income tax		77.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	21.0	56.0
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)		(933.0)					(610.0)	(323.0)
Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle			0.0	0.0	0.0	(18.0)	13.0	0.0
Disposition of businesses			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(41.0)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	(27.0)	0.0	0.0	(383.0)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	126.0
Dividends declared on common stock			0.0	$ 0.0	0.0	(280.0)	0.0	0.0
Purchase of treasury stock (shares)				39.7
Purchase of treasury stock			$ 0.0	$ (482.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans (Shares)			1.3	(1.4)
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans, net of income tax			$ 0.0	$ 16.0	13.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	323.0	(377.0)	0.0	119.0
Acquisition of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests		0.0
Acquisition of a business (2)	[2]		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	15.0
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015		6,171.0	$ 8.0	$ (1,837.0)	8,718.0	143.0	(3,883.0)	3,022.0
Ending Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			815.8	149.0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)		(777.0)	$ 0.0	$ 0.0	0.0	(1,130.0)	0.0	364.0
Total foreign currency translation adjustment, net of income tax		1,181.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1,109.0	72.0
Total change in derivative fair value, net of income tax		42.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	30.0	12.0
Total pension adjustments, net of income tax		(187.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(12.0)	(175.0)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)		$ 1,036.0					1,127.0	(91.0)
Disposition of businesses			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	(2.0)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	(10.0)	0.0	0.0	(430.0)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	60.0
Dividends declared on common stock			0.0	$ 0.0	(226.0)	(71.0)	0.0	0.0
Purchase of treasury stock (shares)		8.7		8.7
Purchase of treasury stock			$ 0.0	$ (79.0)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans (Shares)			0.3	(0.8)
Issuance and exercise of stock-based compensation benefit plans, net of income tax			$ 0.0	$ 12.0	11.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests			0.0	0.0	84.0	(84.0)	0.0	17.0
Acquisition of subsidiary shares from noncontrolling interests		$ (2.0)	0.0	0.0	(2.0)	0.0	0.0	(17.0)
Fair value adjustment (3)	[3]		0.0	0.0	17.0	(4.0)	0.0	(17.0)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016		$ 5,700.0	$ 8.0	$ (1,904.0)	$ 8,592.0	$ (1,146.0)	$ (2,756.0)	$ 2,906.0
Ending Balance (Shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			816.1	156.9

[1] Reclassification resulting from SRP transaction during the third quarter of 2014. See Note 7—Investments In and Advances to Affiliates for further information.

[2] Fair value of a tax equity partner's right to preferential returns recognized as a result of the acquisition of Solar Power PR, LLC, which was previously accounted for as an equity method investment.

[3] Adjustment to the carrying amount of non-controlling interest and redeemable stock of subsidiaries to fair value.