Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended														12 Months Ended
	Dec. 06, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business								$ 128		$ (21)		$ 89		$ 788		$ 28	$ 984	$ (52)
Other Asset Impairment Charges		$ 69			$ 116			42		74		92				185	208	537
Revenues		2,431		$ 2,625	2,483		$ 2,650	2,622		2,837		2,537		2,740		10,189	10,736	10,530
Net equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates		(175)														(172)	39	71
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax																1	225	(611)
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Operating margin		560		701	502		586	646		671		600		656		2,349	2,573	2,465
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, net of Tax		(120)	[1]	298	66	[1]	233	155	[2]	192	[2]	224	[2]	778	[2]	477	1,349	(148)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		0		0	1		0	26		(1)		192	[3]	(1)
NET INCOME (LOSS)		(120)		298	67		233	181		191		416		777		478	1,565	(777)
Net income (loss) attributable to The AES Corporation		$ (78)		$ 210	$ 17		$ 154	$ 128		$ 101		$ 290		$ 684		$ 303	$ 1,203	$ (1,161)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax		$ (0.12)		$ 0.32	$ 0.02		$ 0.23	$ 0.15		$ 0.15		$ 0.15		$ 1.04		$ 0.46	$ 1.49	$ (0.77)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share		0		0	0		0	0.04		0		0.29		0		0	0.33	(0.99)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS		(0.12)		0.32	0.02		0.23	0.19		0.15		0.44		1.04		0.46	1.82	(1.76)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax		(0.12)		0.32	0.02		0.23	0.15		0.15		0.15		1.03		0.45	1.48	(0.77)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share		0		0	0		0	0.04		0		0.29		0		0	0.33	(0.99)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted		(0.12)		0.32	0.02		0.23	0.19		0.15		0.44		1.03		0.45	1.81	(1.76)
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.1433	$ 0.28		$ 0.14	$ 0		$ 0.14	$ 0.27		$ 0.13		$ 0		$ 0.13		$ 0.5528	$ 0.5300	$ 0.4900
OPGC Affiliate [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment		$ 92
Guacolda Affiliate [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment																	$ 144
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member]
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax												$ 199
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount																		$ (611)
UNITED STATES
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)								$ 161		$ 33							194
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Measurement Period Adjustment, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)								$ (77)								$ (17)	(77)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability																	$ (38)

[1] Includes pre-tax impairment expense of $116 million and $69 million, in the second and fourth quarters of 2019, respectively (See Note 22—Asset Impairment Expense), other-than-temporary impairment of OPGC of $92 million and net equity in losses of affiliates, primarily at Guacolda, of $175 million, in the fourth quarter of 2019 (See Note 8—Investments in and Advances to Affiliates).

[2] 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 25—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 22—Asset Impairment Expense), other-than-temporary impairment of Guacolda of $144 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 (See Note 8—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 23—Income Taxes).

[3] Includes gain on sale of Eletropaulo of $199 million in the second quarter of 2018 (See Note 24—Discontinued Operations).