Income Taxes (Effective Income Tax Reconciliation) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Statutory Federal tax rate	21.00%	21.00%	21.00%
State taxes, net of Federal tax benefit	(6.00%)	6.00%	2.00%
Taxes on foreign earnings	15.00%	12.00%	9.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Percent		0.06
Valuation allowance	16.00%	(2.00%)	(2.00%)
Change in tax law	3.00%	(1.00%)	6.00%
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 216,000,000	$ 352,000,000	$ 708,000,000
Other—net	3.00%	(1.00%)	(1.00%)
Effective tax rate	44.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Investment Tax Credit	$ (0.08)	$ 0	$ 0
Federal \| Latest Tax Year
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Limitations on Use	1.2 billion
Guacolda Affiliate [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 20,000,000	19,000,000
Na Pua Makani Power Partners [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Investment Tax Credit	$ (35,000,000)
AES Southland [Domain]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Uncertain tax positions	35.00%
Investment Tax Credit	$ (75,000,000)
UNITED STATES
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Statutory Federal tax rate	21.00%
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Transition Tax for Accumulated Foreign Earnings, Income Tax Expense	$ 124,000,000
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		194,000,000
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Measurement Period Adjustment, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		$ 77,000,000
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Percent		0.09
Effective tax rate	35.00%
Non-US [Member]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	$ 33,000,000	$ 26,000,000	$ 35,000,000

Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to disposition of a business not qualifying as a discontinued operation.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to statutory income tax expense (benefit) outside of the country of domicile.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to state and local income tax expense (benefit), net of federal tax expense (benefit).

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Percentage of reported income tax expense (benefit) in excess of (less than) expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying domestic federal statutory income tax rate to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations, attributable to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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The amount deducted from an entities' taxes, reflecting a percentage of an amount invested in certain assets spread over the useful life of those assets; includes deferred investment tax credits.

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Amount of income tax expense (benefit) from effect of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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Amount of income tax expense (benefit) for measurement period adjustment from accounting for tax effect pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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Amount of income tax expense from transition tax on accumulated earnings of controlled foreign corporation deemed repatriated pursuant to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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