Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2021
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 481	$ 379
Adjustments to net income:
Depreciation and amortization	800	795
Gain on disposal and sale of business interests	0	(81)
Impairment expense	533	1,374
Deferred income taxes	0	(77)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	8	41
Gain on remeasurement to acquisition date fair value	0	(220)
Loss of affiliates, net of dividends	78	28
Emissions Allowance Expense	319	209
Other	36	145
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable	(409)	(118)
(Increase) decrease in inventory	(361)	(70)
(Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets	(116)	(36)
(Increase) decrease in other assets	251	25
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and other current liabilities	108	(257)
Increase (decrease) in income tax payables, net and other tax payables	(131)	(375)
Increase (decrease) in deferred income	48	(360)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities	4	(23)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,649	1,379
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(2,711)	(1,534)
Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates	114	93
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates	1	91
Sale of short-term investments	654	525
Purchase of short-term investments	(1,091)	(372)
Contributions and loans to equity affiliates	(202)	(321)
Proceeds from Collection of Advance to Affiliate	71	195
Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets	(415)	(179)
Other investing	(18)	(40)
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,825)	(1,728)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings under the revolving credit facilities	4,214	1,251
Repayments under the revolving credit facilities	(2,782)	(1,031)
Issuance of recourse debt	200	7
Repayments of recourse debt	(29)	(7)
Issuance of non-recourse debt	3,554	978
Repayments of non-recourse debt	(1,772)	(1,342)
Payments for financing fees	(83)	(19)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(129)	(173)
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests	(541)	(17)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests	122	95
Sales to Noncontrolling Interests	336	81
Issuance of Preferred Shares in Subsidiaries	60	151
Issuance of preferred stock	0	1,014
Dividends paid on AES common stock	(316)	(301)
Payments for financed capital expenditures	(23)	(6)
Other financing	52	(160)
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,863	521
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(44)	(25)
Net Cash Change Of Discontinued And Held For Sale Businesses	(93)	0
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Period Increase (Decrease), Including Exchange Rate Effect	550	147
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning	1,484	1,827
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, ending	2,034	1,974
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:
Cash payments for interest, net of amounts capitalized	654	576
Cash payments for income taxes, net of refunds	203	407
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Notes payable issued for the acquisition of business interests (see Notes 11 and 18)	0	258
AES Clean Energy Subsidiary | Non-cash [Member]
SCHEDULE OF NONCASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Non-cash consideration transferred for AES Clean Energy acquisitions (see Note 18)	$ 0	$ 99