Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Preferred Stock , Convertible, Initial Conversion Rate	$ 31.5428		$ 31.5428
Preferred Stock, Convertible, Conversion Price	$ 31.70		$ 31.70
Corporate Unit, Notional Value	$ 1,043		$ 1,043
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	1,043		1,043		$ 0
BASIC EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ 343	$ (333)	$ 219	$ (275)
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	667,000	665,000	666,000	665,000
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Per Share)	$ 0.52	$ (0.50)	$ 0.32	$ (0.41)
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations, diluted	$ 344	$ (333)	$ 220	$ (275)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, diluted	710,000	665,000	700,000	665,000
Income from continuing operations, per diluted share	$ 0.48	$ (0.50)	$ 0.31	$ (0.41)
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Option
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	1,000	0	1,000	0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	1,000	0	1,000	0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	2,000	0	3,000	0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ (0.01)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	2,000	0	3,000	0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ (0.01)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Equity Unit Purchase Agreements
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Equity Unit Purchase Agreements	40,000	0	30,000	0
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ (0.03)	$ 0	$ (0.01)	$ 0
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 1	$ 0	$ 1	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ (0.03)	$ 0	$ (0.01)	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Equity Unit Purchase Agreements	40,000	0	30,000	0
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 1	$ 0	$ 1	$ 0
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount		6,000	1,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount		3,000