Segments (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Revenue
Total Revenue	$ 5,025	$ 4,402
Intersegment	(285)	(246)
External Revenue	4,740	4,156
Reconciliation To Income From Continuing Operations Before Taxes
Depreciation and amortization	351	281
Interest expense	(416)	(338)
Interest income	91	95
Other expense	(29)	(15)
Other income	18	16
Gain on sale of investments	179	6
Asset impairment expense	(11)	0
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)	(1)	33
Other non-operating expense	(49)	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates	773	695
Assets
Total Assets	45,431		45,333
Generation Latin America Other [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	959	878
Intersegment	(10)	(9)
External Revenue	949	869
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	287	268
Intersegment	4	3
External Adjusted Gross Margin	291	271
Assets
Total Assets	9,271		9,067
Generation Tiete [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Generation Capacity (MW)	2,663
Revenue
Total Revenue	305	253
Intersegment	(282)	(242)
External Revenue	23	11
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	239	202
Intersegment	(282)	(242)
External Adjusted Gross Margin	(43)	(40)
Assets
Total Assets	1,670		1,645
Generation North America [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	317	334
Intersegment	0	0
External Revenue	317	334
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	106	106
Intersegment	2	4
External Adjusted Gross Margin	108	110
Assets
Total Assets	3,627		3,625
Generation Europe [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	450	400
Intersegment	0	(1)
External Revenue	450	399
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	237	106
Intersegment	(7)	1
External Adjusted Gross Margin	230	107
Assets
Total Assets	3,456		3,276
Generation Asia [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	181	115
Intersegment	0	0
External Revenue	181	115
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	58	45
Intersegment	0	1
External Adjusted Gross Margin	58	46
Assets
Total Assets	1,769		1,717
Utilities Latin America [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	1,734	1,840
Intersegment	0	0
External Revenue	1,734	1,840
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	167	320
Intersegment	285	245
External Adjusted Gross Margin	452	565
Assets
Total Assets	9,987		9,468
Utilities North America [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	732	289
Intersegment	0	0
External Revenue	732	289
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	213	90
Intersegment	0	0
External Adjusted Gross Margin	213	90
Assets
Total Assets	9,338		9,384
Segment Discontinued Operations [Member]
Assets
Total Assets	719		1,531
Corporate Other And Other Eliminations [Member]
Revenue
Total Revenue	347	293
Intersegment	7	6
External Revenue	354	299
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted Gross Margin	35	42
Intersegment	(2)	(12)
External Adjusted Gross Margin	33	30
Assets
Total Assets	$ 5,594		$ 5,620

Total generation capacity of the subsidiary, in megawatts.

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Amount of total adjusted gross margin for the reportable segment, including adjusted gross margin from external customers and transactions with other operating segments of the same entity. Adjusted gross margin is defined by the Company as: Gross Margin plus depreciation and amortization less general and administrative expenses.

+ References

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Amount of adjusted gross margin from external customers for the reportable segment. Must be disclosed if the amounts (a) is included in the measure of segment profit or loss reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) is otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in that measure of segment profit or loss. Adjusted gross margin is defined by the Company as: Gross Margin plus depreciation and amortization less general and administrative expenses.

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- Definition

The charge against earnings resulting from the aggregate write down of all assets from their carrying value to their fair value.

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Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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The aggregate expense recognized in the current period that allocates the cost of tangible assets, intangible assets, or depleting assets to periods that benefit from use of the assets.

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The aggregate foreign currency transaction gain (loss) (both realized and unrealized) included in determining net income for the reporting period. Excludes foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements. For certain enterprises, primarily banks, that are dealers in foreign exchange, foreign currency transaction gains (losses) may be disclosed as dealer gains (losses).

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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The cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest that was charged against earnings during the period.

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Income derived from investments in debt securities and on cash and cash equivalents the earnings of which reflect the time value of money or transactions in which the payments are for the use or forbearance of money.

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The aggregate amount of gains or losses resulting from nonoperating activities (for example, interest and dividend revenue, property, plant and equipment impairment loss, and so forth).

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This element represents a sum total of expenses not separately reflected on the income statement for the period.

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Reflects the sum of all other revenue and income recognized by the entity in the period not otherwise specified in the income statement.

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The aggregate amount of other expense amounts, the components of which are not separately disclosed on the income statement, resulting from ancillary business-related activities (that is, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business) also known as other nonoperating expense recognized during the period. Such amounts may include: (a) unusual costs, (b) loss on foreign exchange transactions, (c) losses on securities (net of profits), and (d) miscellaneous other expense items.

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Aggregate revenue recognized during the period (derived from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an entity's earning process). For financial services companies, also includes investment and interest income, and sales and trading gains.

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Amount of revenue from transactions with other operating segments of the same entity.

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Amount of total revenue for the reportable segments, including revenue from external customers, transactions with other operating segments of the same entity, and (gross) interest revenue. All considered to be "operating revenue" for purposes of the taxonomy.

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