Debt (Non-Recourse Debt Carrying Amounts and Terms) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Unamortized Discounts [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (321)	$ (318)
Non-recourse Debt, excluding Finance Lease Liabilities			16,354	16,712
Non-recourse Debt Current Maturities	[1]		(1,426)	(1,865)
Non-recourse Debt, excluding Finance Lease Liabilities, Noncurrent	[1]		14,928	14,847
Derivative, notional amount			2,000
Finance Lease, Liability, Noncurrent			77	67
Finance Lease, Liability, Current			4	3
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			$ (186)	(169)	$ (188)
AES Panama
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt		$ (16)
Variable Rate Debt | Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			3.93%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (3,494)	(3,389)
Variable Rate Debt | Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			3.11%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (800)	(1,056)
Variable Rate Debt | Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	[2]		1.67%
Non-Recourse Debt	[2]		$ (457)	(460)
Fixed Rate Debt | Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			4.72%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (2,965)	(2,900)
Fixed Rate Debt | Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			5.20%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (8,907)	(8,098)
Fixed Rate Debt | Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	[2]		3.41%
Non-Recourse Debt	[2]		$ (34)	(1,110)
Fixed Rate Debt | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			4.20%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (18)	$ (17)

[1] Excludes $4 million and $3 million (current) and $77 million and $67 million (noncurrent) finance lease liabilities included in the respective non-recourse debt line items on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. See Note 14—Leases for further information.

[2] Multilateral loans include loans funded and guaranteed by bilaterals, multilaterals, development banks and other similar institutions.