Asset Impairment Expense (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019	Apr. 12, 2019
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use									$ 1,575	$ 864		$ 185
Other Asset Impairment Charges									1,575	864		185
Long-Lived Assets		$ 20,183							20,183	23,103
Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		2,225							2,225
Hawaii Subsidiary [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use						$ 38	$ 60		0	38		60
Kilroot and Ballylumford [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use								$ 115	0	0		115
Assets carrying amount								$ 114
Angamos [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use			$ 155			564			155	564		0
AES Gener
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use						213			0	213		0
Buffalo Gap [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use		29							29	0		0
buffalo gap II [Member] [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use		73							73	0		0
buffalo gap III
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use		91							91	0		0
Ventanas 3 & 4
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use			649						649	0		0
Mountain View Power Partners
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use				$ 67					67	0		0
AES PR
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use					$ 475				475	0		0
Assets carrying amount					$ 73
AES Panama
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use			11			30			11	30		0
Long Lived Assets Held For Sale [Member] | AES Panama
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									11
Assets carrying amount			17
Long Lived Assets Held For Sale [Member] | AES Panama | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount			0
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Hawaii Subsidiary [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount							$ 103					$ 103
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Hawaii Subsidiary [Member] | Level 3
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount				12
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Kilroot and Ballylumford [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount													$ 232
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Angamos [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									155	564	[1]
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Angamos [Member] | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount				241
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Angamos [Member] | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount			86	86		$ 306				306	[1]
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									29
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap [Member] | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		29							29
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap [Member] | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		0		0					0
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member]
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									73
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		73							73
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		0		0					0
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap III
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									91
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap III | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		91							91
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap III | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount		$ 0		0					0
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Ventanas 3 & 4
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									649
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Ventanas 3 & 4 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount				661
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Ventanas 3 & 4 | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount			$ 12	12
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Mountain View Power Partners
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges									67
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Mountain View Power Partners | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount				78
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Mountain View Power Partners | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount				$ 11
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | AES PR
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges	[1]								$ 475
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | AES Panama
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Other Asset Impairment Charges										30
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | AES Panama | Level 3 | Fair Value
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items]
Assets carrying amount										$ 14

[1] See Note 22—Asset Impairment Expense for further information.(5)See Note 8—Investments In and Advances to Affiliates for further information.