Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Dec. 07, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		$ 128		$ (21)		$ 89		$ 788					$ (48)				$ 984	$ (52)	$ 29
Other Asset Impairment Charges		42		74		92				$ 277			90		$ 168		208	537	1,096
Revenues		2,622		2,837		2,537		2,740		2,643		$ 2,693	2,613		2,581		10,736	10,530	10,281
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Operating margin		646		671		600		656		645		640	623		557		2,573	2,465	2,383
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, net of Tax		155	[1]	192	[1]	224	[1]	778	[1]	(622)	[2]	235	142	[2]	97	[2]	1,349	(148)	191
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		26		(1)		192	[3]	(1)		(664)	[4]	26	8		1
NET INCOME (LOSS)		181		191		416		777		(1,286)		261	150		98		1,565	(777)	(777)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		$ 128		$ 101		$ 290		$ 684		$ (1,342)		$ 152	$ 53		$ (24)		$ 1,203	$ (1,161)	$ (1,130)
Basic earnings per share:
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax		$ 0.15		$ 0.15		$ 0.15		$ 1.04		$ (1.03)		$ 0.22	$ 0.08		$ (0.04)		$ 1.49	$ (0.77)	$ (0.04)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share		0.04		0		0.29		0		(1.00)		0.01	0		0		0.33	(0.99)	(1.68)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS		0.19		0.15		0.44		1.04		(2.03)		0.23	0.08		(0.04)		1.82	(1.76)	(1.72)
Diluted earnings per share:
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax		0.15		0.15		0.15		1.03		(1.03)		0.22	0.08		(0.04)		1.48	(0.77)	(0.04)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share		0.04		0		0.29		0		(1.00)		0.01	0		0		0.33	(0.99)	(1.68)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted		0.19		0.15		0.44		1.03		(2.03)		0.23	0.08		(0.04)		1.81	(1.76)	(1.72)
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.1365	$ 0.27		$ 0.13		$ 0		$ 0.13		$ 0.25		$ 0.12	$ 0		$ 0.12		$ 0.53	$ 0.49	$ 0.45
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment																	$ 144
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)																	708	$ 990	$ 32
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax																	225	$ (611)	$ (1,119)
UNITED STATES
Diluted earnings per share:
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)										$ 675							869
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability																	$ (38)
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member]
Diluted earnings per share:
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax						$ 199
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount										(611)
Change in Accounting Estimate, Type [Domain] | UNITED STATES
Diluted earnings per share:
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 161		$ 33
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability		$ (77)								$ 39

[1] Includes pre-tax gains on sales of business interests of $788 million, $89 million and $128 million, in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively, and pre-tax losses of $21 million in the third quarter of 2018 (See Note 23—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions), pre-tax impairment expense of $92 million, $74 million and $42 million, in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively (See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense), other-than-temporary impairment of Guacolda of $144 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 (See Note 7—Investments in and Advances to Affiliates), SAB 118 charges to finalize the provisional estimate of one-time transition tax on foreign earnings of $33 million and $161 million in the third and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively, and a SAB 118 income tax benefit to finalize the provisional estimate of remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities to the lower corporate tax rate of $77 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 (See Note 21—Income Taxes).

[2] Includes provisional tax expense related to a one-time transition tax on foreign earnings of $675 million and the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities to the lower corporate tax rate of $39 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 (See Note 21—Income Taxes), pre-tax impairment expense of $168 million, $90 million and $277 million, in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2017, respectively (See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense), and pre-tax losses on sales of business interests of $48 million in second quarter of 2017 (See Note 23—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions).

[3] Includes gain on sale of Eletropaulo of $199 million in the second quarter of 2018 (See Note 22—Discontinued Operations).

[4] Includes loss on deconsolidation of Eletropaulo of $611 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 (See Note 22—Discontinued Operations).