Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 152	$ 478	$ 1,565
Adjustments to net income:
Depreciation and amortization	1,068	1,045	1,003
Loss (gain) on disposal and sale of business interests	95	(28)	(984)
Impairment expenses	1,066	277	355
Deferred income taxes	(233)	(8)	313
Provisions for (Reversals of) Contingencies	186	(3)	(14)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	186	169	188
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Other Assets	19	(54)	(27)
Net gain from disposal and impairments of discontinued businesses	0	0	(269)
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments, Net of Dividends or Distributions	128	194	48
Other	208	321	269
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	48	73	(206)
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(20)	28	(36)
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	13	42	(22)
(Increase) decrease in other assets	(134)	(20)	(32)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(186)	(6)	62
Increase (decrease) in income tax payables, net and other tax payables	59	(83)	(7)
Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Revenue	431	28	(12)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	79	(101)	67
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,755	2,466	2,343
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(1,900)	(2,405)	(2,121)
Acquisitions of business interests, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(136)	(192)	(66)
Proceeds from the sale of business interests, net of cash and restricted cash sold	169	178	2,020
Sale of short-term investments	627	666	1,302
Purchase of short-term investments	(653)	(770)	(1,411)
Payments for Advance to Affiliate	(332)	(324)	(145)
Proceeds from Insurance Settlement, Investing Activities	9	150	17
Other investing	(79)	(24)	(101)
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,295)	(2,721)	(505)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from Lines of Credit	2,420	2,026	1,865
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(2,479)	(1,735)	(2,238)
Issuance of recourse debt	3,419	0	1,000
Repayments of recourse debt	(3,366)	(450)	(1,933)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	4,680	5,828	1,928
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(4,136)	(4,831)	(1,411)
Payments for financing fees	(107)	(126)	(39)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(422)	(427)	(340)
Acquisitions of Noncontrolling Interests	259	0	0
Sales to Noncontrolling Interests	553	128	95
Issuance of Preferred Shares in Subsidiaries	112	0	0
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(381)	(362)	(344)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(60)	(146)	(275)
Other financing	(52)	9	49
Net cash used in financing activities	(78)	(86)	(1,643)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(24)	(18)	(54)
(Increase) decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of held-for-sale businesses	(103)	(72)	74
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect	255	(431)	215
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Beginning	1,572	2,003	1,788
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Ending	1,827	1,572	2,003
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	908	946	1,003
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	333	363	370
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Contributions of assets and liabilities for the Fluence transaction (see Note 19)	100	95	90
Non Cash Refinancing of Non-recourse Debt	0	1,081	0
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Debt Assumed	0	0	119
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Assets Acquired	0	0	16
sPower [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Reinvestment of Proceeds from Sale of Equity Method Investments	0	58	0
Fluence [Member] | Non-cash [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Contribution of Property	0	61	20
Distributed Energy [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisition, Value of Assets Acquired	0	0	23
AES Brasil
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Notes Issued	$ 47	$ 0	$ 0