Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 1,193	$ 248
Adjustments to net income:
Depreciation and amortization	512	581
Loss (gain) on disposal and sale of businesses	(877)	48
Asset impairment expense	93	258
Deferred income taxes	183	(18)
Provisions for contingencies	0	23
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	176	(5)
Net loss on sales of assets	2	19
Gain on sale of discontinued operations	(238)	0
Other	126	102
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	6	(120)
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(33)	(43)
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	(75)	153
(Increase) decrease in other assets	15	(155)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(90)	(131)
Increase (decrease) in income taxes payable, net and other taxes payable	(62)	(61)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	(17)	63
Net cash provided by operating activities	914	962
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(994)	(1,123)
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired, and equity method investments	(42)	(2)
Proceeds from the sale of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash sold	1,808	33
Proceeds from the sale of assets	15	0
Sale of short-term investments	418	1,930
Purchase of short-term investments	(938)	(1,876)
Contributions to equity affiliates	(90)	(43)
Other investing	(57)	(15)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	120	(1,096)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under the revolving credit facilities	1,133	538
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(1,042)	(524)
Issuance Of Recourse Debt	1,000	525
Repayments of recourse debt	(1,781)	(860)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	1,192	1,832
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(841)	(982)
Payments for financing fees	(25)	(80)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(128)	(184)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests and redeemable security holders	28	44
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(172)	(158)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(120)	(61)
Other financing	27	(26)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(729)	64
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(20)	6
(Increase) decrease in cash and restricted cash of discontinued operations and held-for-sale businesses	69	(15)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Excluding Exchange Rate Effect	354	(79)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning	1,788	1,960
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, ending	2,142	1,881
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	522	612
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	209	218
SCHEDULE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Non-cash acquisition of intangible assets	5	0
Conversion of Alto Maipo loans and accounts payable into equity (see Note 10—Equity)	0	279
Fluence [Member] | Non-cash [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Non-cash contributions of assets and liabilities for Fluence acquisition	$ 20	$ 0