Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	$ (951)	$ 152	$ 478
Adjustments to net income (loss):
Depreciation and amortization	1,056	1,068	1,045
Loss (gain) on disposal and sale of business interests	1,683	95	(28)
Impairment expense	1,575	1,066	277
Deferred income taxes	(406)	(233)	(8)
Provisions for (reversals of) contingencies	10	186	(3)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	78	186	169
Gain on remeasurement to acquisition date fair value	(254)	0	0
Loss of affiliates, net of dividends	36	128	194
Emissions allowance expense	337	135	143
Other	120	54	232
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	(170)	48	73
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(93)	(20)	28
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	(168)	13	42
(Increase) decrease in other assets	(285)	(134)	(20)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(251)	(186)	(6)
Increase (decrease) in income tax payables, net and other tax payables	(271)	59	(83)
Increase (decrease) in deferred income	(314)	431	28
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	190	79	(101)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,902	2,755	2,466
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(2,116)	(1,900)	(2,405)
Acquisitions of business interests, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(658)	(136)	(192)
Proceeds from the sale of business interests, net of cash and restricted cash sold	95	169	178
Sale of short-term investments	616	627	666
Purchase of short-term investments	(519)	(653)	(770)
Contributions and loans to equity affiliates	(427)	(332)	(324)
Affiliate repayments and returns of capital	320	158	131
Purchase of emissions allowances	265	188	137
Other investing	(97)	(40)	132
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,051)	(2,295)	(2,721)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under the revolving credit facilities	2,802	2,420	2,026
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(2,420)	(2,479)	(1,735)
Issuance of recourse debt	7	3,419	0
Repayments of recourse debt	(26)	(3,366)	(450)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	1,644	4,680	5,828
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(2,012)	(4,136)	(4,831)
Payments for financing fees	(32)	(107)	(126)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(284)	(422)	(427)
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests	117	259	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	365	1	17
Sales to noncontrolling interests	173	553	128
Issuance of preferred shares in subsidiaries	153	112	0
Issuance of preferred stock	1,014	0	0
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(401)	(381)	(362)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(24)	(60)	(146)
Other financing	(45)	(53)	(8)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	797	(78)	(86)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(46)	(24)	(18)
(Increase) decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of held-for-sale businesses	55	(103)	(72)
Total increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(343)	255	(431)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Beginning	1,827	1,572	2,003
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Ending	1,484	1,827	1,572
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	815	908	946
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	459	333	363
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Dividends declared but not yet paid	105	100	95
Notes payable issued for the acquisition of business interests (see Notes 17 and 25)	258	47	0
Refinancing of non-recourse debt at Mong Duong	0	0	1,081
sPower [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Partial reinvestment of consideration from the sPower transaction	0	0	58
Fluence [Member] | Non-cash [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Contribution of Property	0	0	61
AES Clean Energy | Non-cash [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Contribution of Property	$ 118	$ 0	$ 0