Acquisitions (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
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain				$ 36
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	10.00%				10.00%
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount	$ 45			$ 81	$ 45
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination					7
Other Income [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain	8	[1]	$ 0		220	[1]	$ 0
Asset Acquisition of a VIE, Contingent Consideration, Remeasurement Gain	$ 32	[2]	$ 0		$ 32	[2]	0
AIMco
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners	25.00%				25.00%
Penonome Wind [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price							$ 80
sPower [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					$ 102
Fluence [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	43.20%			50.00%	43.20%
Cajuina Wind Cpmplex
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					$ 6
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					22
Cubico Wind Complex
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					109
Serra Verde Wind Complex
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					6
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					18
Notes Payable	$ 12				12
Clean Energy
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain	178				214
Great Cove Solar I
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					13
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability	6				6
Asset Acquisition, Consideration Transferred, Other Assets					2
Great Cove Solar II
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					24
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability	22				22
Asset Acquisition, Consideration Transferred, Other Assets					12
Cajuina Wind Complex Phase II
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					6
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price					24
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability	3				$ 3
Great Cove
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset Acquisition of a VIE, Contingent Consideration, Remeasurement Gain	$ 32
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired	75.00%				75.00%
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Including Subsequent Acquisition, Percentage	25.00%				25.00%

[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] Related to the remeasurement of contingent consideration on the Great Cove Solar acquisition at Clean Energy. See Note 19—Acquisitions for further information.