Commitments and Contingencies - Legal Matters and Regulatory Issues (Details)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017 claim resident coal-fired_unit mi
LGE [Member]
Legal Matters - Cane Run Environmental Claims (Numeric) [Abstract]
Number of residents that filed class action suit \| resident	6
Number of miles within plant that would include a class of residents \| mi	4
Number of remaining unresolved Clean Air Act violation claims after July 2014 court ruling \| claim	1
Generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	1
Additional generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	2
LG And E And KU Energy LLC [Member] \| LGE [Member]
Legal Matters - Cane Run Environmental Claims (Numeric) [Abstract]
Number of residents that filed class action suit \| resident	6
Number of miles within plant that would include a class of residents \| mi	4
Number of remaining unresolved Clean Air Act violation claims after July 2014 court ruling \| claim	1
Generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	1
Additional generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	2
Louisville Gas And Electric Co [Member]
Legal Matters - Cane Run Environmental Claims (Numeric) [Abstract]
Number of residents that filed class action suit \| resident	6
Number of miles within plant that would include a class of residents \| mi	4
Number of remaining unresolved Clean Air Act violation claims after July 2014 court ruling \| claim	1
Generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	1
Additional generating units retired at the Cane Run plant	2

The number of additional coal-fired generating units retired at the Cane Run plant.

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_AdditionalGeneratingUnitsRetiredAtPlantOne
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The number of miles surrounding the plant that a class of plaintiffs could include in a class action suit.

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_CanRunPlantClassOfResidentsMilesWithinPlant
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	num:lengthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Number of plaintiffs that have filed claims pertaining to a loss contingency at the Can Run plant.

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_CaneRunPlantNumberOfPlaintiffsFiledSuit
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The number of Clean Air Act violation claims that remains unresolved after a July 2014 court ruling.

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_CaneRunPlantNumberOfUnresolvedCleanAirActViolations
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The number of coal-fired generating units retired at the Cane Run plant.

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_GeneratingUnitsRetiredPlantOne
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

No definition available.

Name:	ppl_LegalMattersCaneRunEnvironmentalClaimsNumericAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ppl_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	ppl_ByCompanyAxis=ppl_LouisvilleGasAndElectricCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ppl_LGAndEAndKUEnergyLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=ppl_LouisvilleGasAndElectricCoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: