Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Jan. 01, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Preferred Stock , Convertible, Initial Conversion Rate							$ 31.5428
Preferred Stock, Convertible, Conversion Price	$ 31.68		$ 31.68				$ 31.70
Corporate Unit, Notional Value		$ 1,043		$ 1,043			$ 1,043
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	$ 838	838	$ 838	838		$ 838
Preferred Stock, Convertible, Current Conversion Rate	$ 31.5649		$ 31.5649
BASIC EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ (179)	$ 24	$ (64)	$ (124)
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	668,000	666,000	668,000	666,000
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Per Share)	$ (0.27)	$ 0.03	$ (0.10)	$ (0.19)
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations, diluted	$ (179)	$ 24	$ (64)	$ (124)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, diluted	668,000	671,000	668,000	666,000
Income from continuing operations, per diluted share	$ (0.27)	$ 0.03	$ (0.10)	$ (0.19)
Accounting Standards Update 2020-06
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued					$ 13
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Option
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	0	1,000	0	0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	0	1,000	0	0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	0	3,000	0	0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	0	3,000	0	0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Equity Unit Purchase Agreements
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Equity Unit Purchase Agreements	0	1,000	0	0
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Equity Unit Purchase Agreements	0	1,000	0	0
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	4,000	1,000	4,000	6,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	2,000		2,000	4,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2020-06
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount		1,000		1,000
Equity Unit Purchase Agreements
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	40,000		40,000
Equity Unit Purchase Agreements | Weighted Average [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	40,000		40,000