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Debt and Capital Leases - Schedule of Long-term Debt and Capital Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 21, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 19, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	May 26, 2017	Feb. 17, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 16,092	$ 120	$ 16,633
Capital leases		3		5
Subtotal long-term debt and capital leases (including current maturities)		16,095		16,638
Current portion of long-term debt and capital leases		(952)		(688)
Less debt issuance costs		(199)		(204)
Discounts		(123)		(30)
Long-term debt and capital leases		$ 14,821		15,716
Alta Wind I - V lease financing arrangements, due 2034 and 2035 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		5.696%
Alta Wind I - V lease financing arrangements, due 2034 and 2035 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		7.015%
Recourse Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 7,729		7,182
Recourse Debt | Senior Notes, due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 977		992
Interest rate, stated percentage		6.25%
Recourse Debt | Senior Notes, due 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 733		733
Interest rate, stated percentage		6.25%
Recourse Debt | Senior Notes, due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 1,000		1,000
Interest rate, stated percentage		7.25%
Recourse Debt | Senior Notes, due 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 1,250		1,250
Interest rate, stated percentage		6.625%
Recourse Debt | Senior Notes, due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 841		870
Interest rate, stated percentage		5.75%
Recourse Debt | Convertible Senior Notes, due 2048
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 575		0
Interest rate, stated percentage		2.75%
Recourse Debt | Revolving loan facility, due 2018 and 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 26		0
Recourse Debt | Revolving loan facility, due 2018 and 2021 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Recourse Debt | Term loan facility, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 1,862		1,872
Recourse Debt | Term loan facility, due 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.75%	1.75%
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 465		465
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		4.125%
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		6.00%
Non Recourse Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 8,363		9,451
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes, due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 345		345
Interest rate, stated percentage		3.50%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes, due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 288		288
Interest rate, stated percentage		3.25%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes, due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 500		500
Interest rate, stated percentage		5.375%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield, Inc. Convertible Senior Notes, due 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 350		350
Interest rate, stated percentage		5.00%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield LLC and NRG Yield Operating LLC Revolving Credit Facility, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 0		55
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield LLC and NRG Yield Operating LLC Revolving Credit Facility, due 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Non Recourse Debt | El Segundo Energy Center, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 369		400
Non Recourse Debt | El Segundo Energy Center, due 2023 | LIBOR | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Non Recourse Debt | El Segundo Energy Center, due 2023 | LIBOR | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		2.375%
Non Recourse Debt | Marsh Landing, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 305		318
Non Recourse Debt | Marsh Landing, due 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		2.125%
Non Recourse Debt | Alta Wind I - V lease financing arrangements, due 2034 and 2035
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 901		926
Non Recourse Debt | Walnut Creek, term loans due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 254		267
Non Recourse Debt | Walnut Creek, term loans due 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.625%
Non Recourse Debt | Utah Portfolio, due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 273		278
Non Recourse Debt | Tapestry, due 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 155		162
Non Recourse Debt | Tapestry, due 2021 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.625%
Non Recourse Debt | CVSR, due 2037
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 731		746
Non Recourse Debt | CVSR, due 2037 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		2.339%
Non Recourse Debt | CVSR, due 2037 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		3.775%
Non Recourse Debt | CVSR HoldCo, due 2037
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 188		194
Interest rate, stated percentage		4.68%
Non Recourse Debt | Alpine, due 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 133		135
Non Recourse Debt | Alpine, due 2022 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Non Recourse Debt | Energy Center Minneapolis, due 2031, 2033, 2035 and 2037
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 328		208
Non Recourse Debt | Viento, due 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 154		163
Non Recourse Debt | Viento, due 2023 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		3.00%
Non Recourse Debt | Buckthorn Solar, due 2018 and 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 132		169
Non Recourse Debt | Buckthorn Solar, due 2018 and 2025 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Yield - other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 564		579
Non Recourse Debt | Subtotal NRG Yield debt (non-recourse to NRG)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		5,970		6,083
Non Recourse Debt | Ivanpah, due 2033 and 2038
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 0		1,073
Non Recourse Debt | Ivanpah, due 2033 and 2038 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		2.285%
Non Recourse Debt | Ivanpah, due 2033 and 2038 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		4.256%
Non Recourse Debt | Carlsbad Energy Project
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 513		427
Interest rate, stated percentage					4.12%
Non Recourse Debt | Carlsbad Energy Project | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		1.625%
Non Recourse Debt | Carlsbad Energy Project | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		4.12%
Non Recourse Debt | Agua Caliente, due 2037
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 812		818
Non Recourse Debt | Agua Caliente, due 2037 | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		2.395%
Non Recourse Debt | Agua Caliente, due 2037 | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage		3.633%
Non Recourse Debt | Agua Caliente Borrower 1, due 2038
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 86		89
Interest rate, stated percentage		5.43%				5.43%
Non Recourse Debt | Cedro Hill, due 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 144		151
Non Recourse Debt | Cedro Hill, due 2025 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.75%
Non Recourse Debt | Midwest Generation, due 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 108		152
Interest rate, stated percentage		4.39%
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Other Renewables
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 623		478
Non Recourse Debt | NRG Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		107		180
Non Recourse Debt | Subtotal other NRG non-recourse debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount		$ 2,393		$ 3,368

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Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nrg_NrgEnergyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: