Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 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	$ 31.64			$ 31.70
Corporate Unit, Notional Value		$ 1,043		$ 1,043
Preferred Stock, Value, Issued	$ 838	838	$ 838
Preferred Stock, Convertible, Current Conversion Rate	$ 31.6031
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ 151	$ 115
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	669	668
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Per Share)	$ 0.22	$ 0.17
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE:
Income from continuing operations, diluted	$ 151	$ 115
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, diluted	712	711
Income from continuing operations, per diluted share	$ 0.21	$ 0.16
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
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	1	1
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Stock Options, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	1	1
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
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	2	2
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	2	2
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 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	40	40
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ (0.01)	$ (0.01)
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 0	$ 0
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities Effect on Basic EPS, dilutive Equity Unit Purchase Agreements, per diluted share	$ (0.01)	$ (0.01)
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Equity Unit Purchase Agreements	40	40
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Dilutive Convertible Securities	$ 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	1