Other Income and Expense - Other Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021		Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021		Sep. 30, 2020
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain				$ 36
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Other Assets					$ 9		$ 37
Other Nonoperating Income	$ 48		$ 6		274		60
Clean Energy
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain	178				214
Colon [Domain]
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain					6
Other Income [Member]
Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain	8	[1]	0		220	[1]	0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Other Assets	1		0		2		43	[2]
Other income	5		4		14		13
Other Nonoperating Income	$ 48		$ 6		$ 274		$ 60

[1] For the three months ended September 30, 2021, primarily related to the $6 million remeasurement of our existing equity interest in Gas Natural Atlántico II, S. de. R.L.’s assets to their acquisition-date fair value. See Note 7—Investments in and Advances to Affiliates for further information. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, primarily related to the $214 million remeasurement of our existing equity interest in sPower’s development platform as part of the step acquisition to form AES Clean Energy Development. See Note 19—Acquisitions for further information.

[2] Primarily associated with the gain on sale of Redondo Beach land at Southland for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. See Note 18—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions for further information.