Contingencies and Commitments (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
The range of expiration dates of guarantees made by the Parent Company	less than one year to no more than 16 years
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 2,466
Number of Agreements	139
Obligations Number Of Agreements	139
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies	$ 10	$ 4
Guarantee Obligations [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 2,282
Number of Agreements	81
Obligations Number Of Agreements	81
Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Unsecured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 156
Number of Agreements	44
Obligations Number Of Agreements	44
Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Secured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 26
Number of Agreements	12
Obligations Number Of Agreements	12
Surety Bond
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted	$ 2
Number of Agreements	2
Obligations Number Of Agreements	2
Minimum [Member] \| Guarantee Obligations [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	$ 0
Minimum [Member] \| Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Unsecured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	0
Minimum [Member] \| Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Secured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	$ 0
Minimum [Member] \| Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	1.00%
Letter of credit fee percentage paid	1.00%
Maximum [Member] \| Guarantee Obligations [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	$ 400
Maximum [Member] \| Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Unsecured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	36
Maximum [Member] \| Financial Standby Letter of Credit [Member] \| Secured Debt [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	15
Maximum [Member] \| Surety Bond
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss	$ 1
Maximum [Member] \| Standby Letters of Credit [Member]
Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	3.00%
Letter of credit fee percentage paid	3.00%

Number of agreements under which the Parent Company has contingent contractual obligations.

No definition available.

Name:	aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Schedule Of Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aes_ScheduleOfContingentContractualObligationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	aes_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total costs accrued as of the balance sheet date for environmental loss contingencies.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/recommendedDisclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (d)(3)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13237-110859

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 5.Y.Q1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011672&loc=d3e149879-122751

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121557415&loc=d3e14326-108349

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/recommendedDisclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (d)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13237-110859

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 16
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6571209&loc=d3e13703-110860

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124440162&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Describe the approximate term of the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124440162&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityUnusedCapacityCommitmentFeePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the estimated amount of loss from the specified contingency as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121557415&loc=d3e14435-108349

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121557415&loc=d3e14557-108349

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124440162&loc=d3e12021-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_FinancialStandbyLetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_UnsecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_SuretyBondMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=us-gaap_StandbyLettersOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: