Name:	aes_AssetsCarryingAmountDisclosureNonrecurring
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Capital Contribution to Project

No definition available.

Name:	aes_CapitalContributiontoProject
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Percentage of equity interest in business disposed.

No definition available.

Name:	aes_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationOwnershipInterestSold
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of assets, including but not limited to property plant and equipment, intangible assets and equity in securities of subsidiaries or equity method investee.

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of gain (loss) from sale and disposal of integrated set of activities and assets capable of being conducted and managed for purpose of providing return in form of dividend, lower cost, or other economic benefit to investor, owner, member and participant.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121586364&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109239629&loc=SL4582445-111684

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=aes_RedondoBeachMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DisposalGroupDisposedOfBySaleNotDiscontinuedOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DisposalGroupClassificationAxis=us-gaap_DisposalGroupHeldforsaleNotDiscontinuedOperationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis=country_JO
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: