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Long-term Debt and Finance Leases - Senior Credit Facility and Tax Exempt Bonds (Details)			12 Months Ended
	Aug. 20, 2020 USD ($)	May 28, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 05, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 17, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 20, 2020 CAD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 11, 2020 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Decrease to long-term debt outstanding		$ 594,000,000
Loss on debt extinguishment			$ 9,000,000	$ 51,000,000	$ 44,000,000
Long-term debt			8,855,000,000	6,042,000,000
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Adjusted Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)		1.25%
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Adjusted Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)		0.75%
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Eurodollar | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)		2.25%
Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Eurodollar | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)		1.75%
Credit Agreement | Debt Basket
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	$ 600,000,000
Recourse Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			8,855,000,000	6,008,000,000
Recourse Debt | Term Loan Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayment of debt		$ 1,700,000,000
Loss on debt extinguishment		17,000,000
Write off of deferred debt issuance cost		13,000,000
Recourse Debt | Term Loan Facility | Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Reduction to interest expense		(25,000,000)
Recourse Debt | NRG Indian River Power 2020, tax exempt bonds, due 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 57,000,000	0			$ 57,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			1.25%				1.25%
Recourse Debt | NRG Indian River Power 2020, tax exempt bonds, due 2045
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 190,000,000	0			$ 190,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			1.25%				1.25%
Recourse Debt | Indian River Power, tax exempt bonds, due 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 0	57,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			6.00%
Recourse Debt | Indian River Power LLC, tax exempt bonds, due 2045
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 0	190,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			5.375%
Recourse Debt | NRG Dunkirk 2020, tax exempt bonds, due 2042
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 59,000,000	0
Interest rate, stated percentage			1.30%
Recourse Debt | Dunkirk Power LLC, tax exempt bonds, due 2042
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 0	59,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			5.875%
Recourse Debt | City of Texas City, tax exempt bonds, due 2045
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 33,000,000	33,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			4.125%
Recourse Debt | Fort Bend County, tax exempt bonds, due 2038
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 54,000,000	54,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			4.75%
Recourse Debt | Fort Bend County, tax exempt bonds, due 2042
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 73,000,000	73,000,000
Interest rate, stated percentage			4.75%
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 466,000,000	466,000,000
Aggregate principal amount										$ 59,000,000
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage			1.25%							1.30%
Recourse Debt | Tax-exempt bonds | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate, stated percentage			4.75%
Line of Credit | Swingline facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	100,000,000							$ 10,000,000	$ 50,000,000
Line of Credit | Debt Basket
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	10,000,000,000								6,000,000,000
Line of Credit | Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in revolving commitments		184,000,000
Revolving credit facility	273,000,000	$ 2,600,000,000
Increase in revolving commitments and letters of credit	802,000,000
Credit facility, lien basket (greater of)	$ 10,000,000,000								6,000,000,000
Credit facility, lien basket, percentage of total assets	30.00%							30.00%
Long-term debt			$ 0	83,000,000
Line of Credit | Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving commitments available						$ 3,700,000,000
Line of Credit | Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)			1.75%
Secured Debt | Credit Agreement | Debt Basket
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Revolving credit facility	$ 1,700,000,000								$ 750,000,000
Non Recourse Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt			$ 0	$ 34,000,000

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