Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 943,000,000	$ 1,089,000,000
Restricted cash	304,000,000	297,000,000
Short-term investments	232,000,000	335,000,000
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5 and $13, respectively	1,418,000,000	1,300,000,000
Inventory	604,000,000	461,000,000
Prepaid expenses	142,000,000	102,000,000
Other current assets	897,000,000	726,000,000
Current held-for-sale assets	816,000,000	1,104,000,000
Total current assets	5,356,000,000	5,414,000,000
Property, Plant and Equipment:
Land	426,000,000	417,000,000
Electric generation, distribution assets and other	25,552,000,000	26,707,000,000
Accumulated depreciation	(8,486,000,000)	(8,472,000,000)
Construction in progress	2,414,000,000	4,174,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	19,906,000,000	22,826,000,000
Other Assets:
Investments in and advances to affiliates	1,080,000,000	835,000,000
Debt service reserves and other deposits	237,000,000	441,000,000
Goodwill	1,177,000,000	1,061,000,000
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $385 and $330, respectively	1,450,000,000	827,000,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense	409,000,000	288,000,000
Other noncurrent assets, net of allowance of $23 and $21, respectively	2,188,000,000	1,660,000,000
Noncurrent held-for-sale assets	1,160,000,000	1,251,000,000
Total other assets	7,701,000,000	6,363,000,000
TOTAL ASSETS	32,963,000,000	34,603,000,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable	1,153,000,000	1,156,000,000
Accrued interest	182,000,000	191,000,000
Accrued non-income taxes	266,000,000	257,000,000
Deferred Income	85,000,000	438,000,000
Accrued and other liabilities	1,120,000,000	1,223,000,000
Non-recourse debt, including $302 and $336, respectively, related to variable interest entities	1,367,000,000	1,430,000,000
Current held-for-sale liabilities	559,000,000	667,000,000
Total current liabilities	4,732,000,000	5,362,000,000
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Recourse debt	3,729,000,000	3,446,000,000
Non-recourse debt, including $2,223 and $3,918, respectively, related to variable interest entities	13,603,000,000	15,005,000,000
Deferred income taxes	977,000,000	1,100,000,000
Other noncurrent liabilities	3,358,000,000	3,241,000,000
Noncurrent held-for-sale liabilities	740,000,000	857,000,000
Total noncurrent liabilities	22,407,000,000	23,649,000,000
Commitments and Contingencies (see Notes 12 and 13)
Redeemable stock of subsidiaries	1,257,000,000	872,000,000
THE AES CORPORATION STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred stock (without par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 1,043,050 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021)	825,000,000	0
Common stock ($0.01 par value, 1,200,000,000 shares authorized; 818,717,043 issued and 666,793,625 outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 818,398,654 issued and 665,370,128 outstanding at December 31, 2020)	8,000,000	8,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	7,119,000,000	7,561,000,000
Accumulated deficit	(1,089,000,000)	(680,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(2,220,000,000)	(2,397,000,000)
Treasury stock, at cost (151,923,418 and 153,028,526 shares at December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively)	(1,845,000,000)	(1,858,000,000)
Total AES Corporation stockholders’ equity	2,798,000,000	2,634,000,000
NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS	1,769,000,000	2,086,000,000
Total equity	4,567,000,000	4,720,000,000
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	32,963,000,000	34,603,000,000
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Non-recourse debt, including $302 and $336, respectively, related to variable interest entities	302,000,000	336,000,000
NONCURRENT LIABILITIES
Non-recourse debt, including $2,223 and $3,918, respectively, related to variable interest entities	$ 2,223,000,000	$ 3,918,000,000