Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended														6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021		Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021		Mar. 31, 2021		Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020		Jun. 30, 2020		Mar. 31, 2020		Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business																$ (1,683)	$ (95)	$ 28
Other Asset Impairment Charges																1,575	864	185
Revenues	$ 2,770		$ 3,036	$ 2,700		$ 2,635		$ 2,560	$ 2,545		$ 2,217		$ 2,338			11,141	9,660	10,189
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Income Tax Expense (Benefit)																(377)	0	0
Net equity in losses of affiliates																(24)	(123)	(172)
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount																2,074
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Operating margin	559		760	728		664		906	756		524		507			2,711	2,693	2,349
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, net of Tax	(1,330)	[1]	485	(81)	[1]	(29)	[1]	401	(481)	[2]	0	[2]	229	[2]		(955)	149	477
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0		0	4		0		0	0		3		0
NET INCOME (LOSS)	(1,330)		485	(77)		(29)		401	(481)		3		229			(951)	152	478
Net income (loss) attributable to The AES Corporation	$ (632)		$ 343	$ 28		$ (148)		$ 318	$ (333)		$ (83)		$ 144			$ (409)	$ 46	$ 303
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	$ (0.95)		$ 0.52	$ 0.03		$ (0.22)		$ 0.48	$ (0.50)		$ (0.13)		$ 0.22			$ (0.62)	$ 0.06	$ 0.46
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share	0		0	0.01		0		0	0		0.01		0			0.01	0.01	0
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS	(0.95)		0.52	0.04		(0.22)		0.48	(0.50)		(0.12)		0.22			(0.61)	0.07	0.46
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	(0.95)		0.48	0.03		(0.22)		0.47	(0.50)		(0.13)		0.22			(0.62)	0.06	0.45
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share	0		0	0.01		0		0	0		0.01		0			0.01	0.01	0
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	(0.95)		0.48	0.04		(0.22)		0.47	(0.50)		(0.12)		0.22			(0.61)	0.07	$ 0.45
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.31		$ 0.15	$ 0		$ 0.15		$ 0.29	$ 0.14		$ 0		$ 0.14			$ 0.6095	$ 0.5804
OPGC Affiliate [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment																	$ 43
OPGC
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment											$ 158		$ 43		$ 201

[1] Includes pre-tax impairment expense of $473 million, $872 million, and $201 million in the first, second, and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively (See Note 22—Asset Impairment Expense), and pre-tax loss on sale of business interests of $1.8 billion, primarily due to the deconsolidation of Alto Maipo, in the fourth quarter of 2021 (See Note 24—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions).

[2] Includes pre-tax impairment expense of $849 million in the third quarter of 2020 (See Note 22—Asset Impairment Expense), other-than-temporary impairment of OPGC of $43 million and $158 million in the first and second quarters of 2020, respectively, and net equity in losses of affiliates, primarily at Guacolda, of $112 million in the third quarter of 2020 (See Note 8—Investments in and Advances to Affiliates).