Debt (Non-Recourse Debt Carrying Amounts and Terms) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Unamortized Discounts [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (214)	$ (321)
Non-recourse Debt, excluding Finance Lease Liabilities			14,811	16,354
Non-recourse Debt Current Maturities	[1]		(1,361)	(1,426)
Non-recourse Debt, excluding Finance Lease Liabilities, Noncurrent	[1]		13,450	14,928
Derivative, notional amount			1,300
Finance Lease, Liability, Noncurrent			128	77
Finance Lease, Liability, Current			6	4
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt			(78)	(186)	$ (169)
AES Panama
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt		$ (16)
AES Clean Energy
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Failed Auction, Value			$ 25
Variable Rate Debt | Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			1.89%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (2,345)	(3,494)
Variable Rate Debt | Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			1.01%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (1,121)	(800)
Variable Rate Debt | Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	[2]		2.07%
Non-Recourse Debt	[2]		$ (79)	(457)
Variable Rate Debt | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			4.44%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (125)	0
Fixed Rate Debt | Bank loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			3.58%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (359)	(2,965)
Fixed Rate Debt | Notes and bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			5.03%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (10,914)	(8,907)
Fixed Rate Debt | Debt to (or guaranteed by) multilateral, export credit agencies or development banks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	[2]		6.75%
Non-Recourse Debt	[2]		$ (3)	(34)
Fixed Rate Debt | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage			7.06%
Non-Recourse Debt			$ (79)	$ (18)

[1] Excludes $6 million and $4 million (current) and $128 million and $77 million (noncurrent) finance lease liabilities included in the respective non-recourse debt line items on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. See Note 14—Leases for further information.(3)    Excludes $25 million of failed sale-leaseback transaction liabilities included in the non-recourse debt line items on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021.

[2] Multilateral loans include loans funded and guaranteed by bilaterals, multilaterals, development banks and other similar institutions.