Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ 152	$ 176	$ 181	$ 208
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	660	659	660	660
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	$ 0.23	$ 0.26	$ 0.28	$ 0.31
Income (loss) from continuing operations, after Adjustment to Retained Earnings, Basic Earnings		$ 171		$ 203
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	3	3	2	2
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ (0.01)	$ 0.00
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share	$ 0.23	$ 0.26	$ 0.27	$ 0.31
Income (loss) from continuing operations, after Adjustment to Retained Earnings, Diluted Earnings		$ 171		$ 203
Income Loss From Continuing Operations Diluted	$ 152		$ 181
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	663	662	662	662
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
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			6	7
DPL Subsidiary [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Temporary Equity, Accretion to Redemption Value		$ 5		$ 5
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Temporary Equity, Accretion to Redemption Value		$ 5		$ 5