Financial Statement Presentation New Accounting Pronouncement Adopted (Details) - USD ($)				9 Months Ended
		Jan. 01, 2020		Sep. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		$ 20,000,000		$ 13,000,000		$ 20,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff				(9,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery				(2,000,000)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		1,479,000,000		1,404,000,000		1,479,000,000
Other current assets, net of allowance of $2 and $0, respectively		(800,000,000)	[1]	(747,000,000)		(802,000,000)	[1]
Other Assets, Noncurrent		(1,605,000,000)	[2]	(1,537,000,000)		(1,635,000,000)	[2]
Deferred Income Tax, Net		(165,000,000)		(336,000,000)		(156,000,000)
Accounts and Financing Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent		(1,319,000,000)		(1,260,000,000)		(1,351,000,000)
Loan receivable, net of allowance of $32 and $0, respectively				203,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss				11,000,000
TOTAL ASSETS				34,267,000,000		33,648,000,000
Accrued and other liabilities				1,197,000,000		987,000,000
Accumulated deficit		731,000,000		998,000,000		692,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				(2,628,000,000)		(2,229,000,000)
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS		2,217,000,000		2,069,000,000		2,233,000,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY				34,267,000,000		33,648,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value				1,505,000,000		1,029,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current				374,000,000		336,000,000
Debt service reserves and other deposits				502,000,000		207,000,000
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents				2,381,000,000		1,572,000,000		$ 1,841,000,000	$ 2,003,000,000
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset Value				509,000,000		580,000,000
Accounts and Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		68,000,000		65,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)				10,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation				(6,000,000)
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables		16,000,000		4,000,000
Loans and Leases Receivable, Allowance		32,000,000		31,000,000		0
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent				2,004,000,000		2,996,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accumulated deficit					$ (4,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		1,500,000,000
Accumulated deficit					$ (39,000,000)
Accounts Receivable [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	[3]	4,000,000		9,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	[3]			9,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	[3]			(9,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery	[3]			(5,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation	[3]			0
Retained Earnings [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent		4,000,000
Other Entity [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)				0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff				0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery				0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent		1,000,000		1,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation				0
Mong Duong Subsidiary [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss				33,000,000
Accounts and Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss				33,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)				0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff				0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery				(1,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation				0
Mong Duong Subsidiary [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Loan receivable, net of allowance of $32 and $0, respectively		1,400,000,000
Accounts and Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		$ 34,000,000
Financing Receivable, Credit Loss Rate		2.40%
AES Argentina [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery				(2,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss				22,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)				1,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff				0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation				(6,000,000)
AES Argentina [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		$ 29,000,000
Financing Receivable, Credit Loss Rate		41.20%
Gener Subsidiary [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss				$ (115,000,000)
Gener Subsidiary [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Loan receivable, net of allowance of $32 and $0, respectively						$ 33,000,000
Debt Securities [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset Value		$ 326,000,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		0
Other current assets, net of allowance of $2 and $0, respectively	[1]	(2,000,000)
Other Assets, Noncurrent	[2]	(30,000,000)
Deferred Income Tax, Net		(9,000,000)
Accounts and Financing Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent		(32,000,000)
Accumulated deficit		39,000,000
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS		$ (16,000,000)

[1] Other current assets include the short-term portion of the Mong Duong loan receivable.

[2] Other noncurrent assets include Argentina financing receivables.

[3] Excludes operating lease receivable allowances and contractual dispute allowances of $16 million and $4 million as of January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020, respectively. Those reserves are not in scope under ASC 326.