Financial Statement Presentation New Accounting Pronouncement Adopted (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Total Revenue	$ 2,837	$ 2,693	$ 8,114	$ 7,887
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	(2,166)	(2,053)	(6,187)	(6,067)
Operating margin	671	640	1,927	1,820
Interest income	79	63	231	185
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES	332	304	1,672	687
Income tax expense	146	93	509	246
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	192	235	1,194	474
NET INCOME	191	261	1,384	509
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION	101	152	1,075	181
Other current assets	706		706		$ 691	$ 630
Deferred income taxes	88		88		106	130
Service concession assets, net	0		0		0	1,360
Loan receivable	1,441		1,441		1,490	0
TOTAL ASSETS	32,489		32,489			33,112
Accrued and other liabilities	1,151		1,151			1,232
Accumulated deficit	(1,133)		(1,133)		(2,209)	(2,276)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,020)		(2,020)		(1,857)	(1,876)
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS	2,404		2,404		2,461	2,380
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	32,489		32,489			33,112
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	(1,187)		(1,187)			(949)
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current	(441)		(441)			(274)
Other Restricted Assets, Noncurrent	(494)		(494)			(565)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	2,122	2,298	2,122	2,298		$ 1,788	$ 1,960
ASC 606 Impact [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Total Revenue	(18)		(54)
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	14		40
Operating margin	(4)		(14)
Interest income	15		45
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES	11		31
Income tax expense	1		0
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	12		31
NET INCOME	12		31
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION	12		31
Other current assets	65		65		61
Deferred income taxes	(24)		(24)		(24)
Service concession assets, net	(1,287)		(1,287)		(1,360)
Loan receivable	1,441		1,441		1,490
TOTAL ASSETS	195		195
Accumulated deficit	98		98		67
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	18		18		19
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS	79		79		$ 81
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	195		195
Balance Without the Adoption of ASC 606 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Total Revenue	2,855		8,168
Cost of Goods and Services Sold	(2,180)		(6,227)
Operating margin	675		1,941
Interest income	64		186
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS BEFORE TAXES AND EQUITY IN EARNINGS OF AFFILIATES	321		1,641
Income tax expense	(147)		(509)
INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	180		1,163
NET INCOME	179		1,353
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION	89		1,044
Other current assets	641		641
Deferred income taxes	112		112
Service concession assets, net	1,287		1,287
Loan receivable	0		0
TOTAL ASSETS	32,294		32,294
Accumulated deficit	(1,231)		(1,231)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,038)		(2,038)
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS	2,325		2,325
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	$ 32,294		$ 32,294
Accounting Standard Update 2016-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets		327		327
Inc (Dec) in Cash provided by Operating Actitvities [Domain] | Accounting Standard Update 2016-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets		12		12
Dec (Inc) In Net Cash Used by Financing Activities [Domain] | Accounting Standard Update 2016-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Cumulative Effect of Change on Equity or Net Assets		$ 0		$ 0
Other Expense [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2017-07 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description of Prior-period Information Retrospectively Adjusted		2		1