General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies New Accounting Pronouncements Adopted (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended														12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021		Sep. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2021		Mar. 31, 2021		Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020		Jun. 30, 2020		Mar. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss		$ 57,000,000							$ 101,000,000							$ 57,000,000	$ 101,000,000
Other assets	$ 1,605,000,000	2,188,000,000							1,660,000,000							2,188,000,000	1,660,000,000	$ 1,635,000,000
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset		278,000,000							275,000,000							278,000,000	275,000,000
Revenues		2,770,000,000		$ 3,036,000,000	$ 2,700,000,000		$ 2,635,000,000		2,560,000,000	$ 2,545,000,000		$ 2,217,000,000		$ 2,338,000,000		11,141,000,000	9,660,000,000	10,189,000,000
Cost of Goods and Services Sold																(8,430,000,000)	(6,967,000,000)	(7,840,000,000)
Gross Profit		559,000,000		760,000,000	728,000,000		664,000,000		906,000,000	756,000,000		524,000,000		507,000,000		2,711,000,000	2,693,000,000	2,349,000,000
Interest income																298,000,000	268,000,000	318,000,000
Other Assets, Current	800,000,000	897,000,000							726,000,000							897,000,000	726,000,000	802,000,000
Assets		32,963,000,000							34,603,000,000							32,963,000,000	34,603,000,000	33,648,000,000
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	(731,000,000)	(1,089,000,000)							(680,000,000)							(1,089,000,000)	(680,000,000)	(692,000,000)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value		943,000,000							1,089,000,000							943,000,000	1,089,000,000
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Current		304,000,000							297,000,000							304,000,000	297,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Effect of Change in Accounting Principle, Net of Taxes																292,000,000	(167,000,000)	(227,000,000)
Debt service reserves and other deposits		237,000,000							441,000,000							237,000,000	441,000,000
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents		1,484,000,000							1,827,000,000							1,484,000,000	1,827,000,000	1,572,000,000	$ 2,003,000,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax		(2,220,000,000)							(2,397,000,000)							(2,220,000,000)	(2,397,000,000)	(2,229,000,000)
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	2,217,000,000	1,769,000,000							2,086,000,000							1,769,000,000	2,086,000,000	2,233,000,000
Liabilities and Equity		32,963,000,000							34,603,000,000							32,963,000,000	34,603,000,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Noncontrolling Interest																(1,064,000,000)	488,000,000	1,001,000,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, net of Tax		(1,330,000,000)	[1]	485,000,000	(81,000,000)	[1]	(29,000,000)	[1]	401,000,000	(481,000,000)	[2]	0	[2]	229,000,000	[2]	(955,000,000)	149,000,000	477,000,000
Net Income (Loss), Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		(1,330,000,000)		485,000,000	(77,000,000)		(29,000,000)		401,000,000	(481,000,000)		3,000,000		229,000,000		(951,000,000)	152,000,000	478,000,000
NET INCOME (LOSS) ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION		(632,000,000)		$ 343,000,000	$ 28,000,000		$ (148,000,000)		318,000,000	$ (333,000,000)		$ (83,000,000)		$ 144,000,000		(409,000,000)	46,000,000	303,000,000
Accrued and other liabilities		1,120,000,000							1,223,000,000							1,120,000,000	1,223,000,000
Other long-term liabilities		3,358,000,000							3,241,000,000							3,358,000,000	3,241,000,000
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset Value		476,000,000							527,000,000							476,000,000	527,000,000
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss		58,000,000							110,000,000							58,000,000	110,000,000
Accounts and Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		63,000,000							62,000,000							63,000,000	62,000,000	68,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		1,000,000							9,000,000							1,000,000	9,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	20,000,000	5,000,000							13,000,000							5,000,000	13,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)																16,000,000	12,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff																(11,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery																0	0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation																(4,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	1,500,000,000
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset		2,423,000,000							3,103,000,000							2,423,000,000	3,103,000,000
Accumulated Amortization on PP&E [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset		765,000,000							1,011,000,000							765,000,000	1,011,000,000
Accounts Receivable
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		9,000,000							9,000,000							9,000,000	9,000,000	4,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)																9,000,000	11,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff																(11,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery																(2,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation																0	0
Mong Duong Subsidiary [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		30,000,000							32,000,000							30,000,000	32,000,000	34,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)																0	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff																0	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery																(2,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation																0	0
Mong Duong Subsidiary [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 1,400,000,000
Financing Receivable, Credit Loss Rate	2.40%
Accounts and Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 34,000,000
AES Argentina [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		23,000,000							20,000,000							23,000,000	20,000,000	29,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)																7,000,000	1,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff																0	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery																0	(1,000,000)
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation																(4,000,000)	(9,000,000)
AES Argentina [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, Credit Loss Rate	41.20%
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 29,000,000
Gener Subsidiary [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss									33,000,000								33,000,000
Other Entity [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		1,000,000							1,000,000							1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)																0	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff																0	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Recovery																0	0
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation																0	0
Debt Securities [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-13 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Asset Value	$ 326,000,000
ARGENTINA
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Financing Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss		10,000,000							39,000,000							10,000,000	39,000,000
Revenues																390,000,000	308,000,000	$ 373,000,000
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss		11,000,000							48,000,000							11,000,000	48,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss		$ 1,000,000							$ 9,000,000							$ 1,000,000	$ 9,000,000

[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).