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Discontinued Operations And Held For Sale Businesses (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2009
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | $ 86 | $ 64 | $ (150)
(Gain) loss on disposal and impairment write-down before tax and NCI | 388 | 209 | (150)
Tax effect of gain on disposal of discontinued oeprations | 300 | 132 | 0
Asset impairment expense | 225 | 389 | 20
Discontinued Operations Income Loss |  |  |
Revenue | 485 | 1,310 | 1,579
Income (loss) from operations of discontinued businesses, before taxes | (124) | (745) | 146
Income tax (expense) benefit | 27 | 270 | (45)
Income (loss) from operations of discontinued businesses | (97) | (475) | 101
Subsidiary Lal Pir And Pak Gen [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Sale Proceeds |  | 117 |
Sale Proceeds AES Portion |  | 65 |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes |  | (22) | (150)
Loss on disposal and impairment recognized net of tax and noncontrolling interests |  | 14 |
Subsidiary Lal Pir [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) |  | 362 |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent |  | 55.00% |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | 0 | (6) | (74)
Subsidiary Pak Gen [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) |  | 365 |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent |  | 55.00% |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | 0 | (16) | (76)
Subsidiary Barka [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) |  | 456 |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent |  | 35.00% |
Sale Proceeds |  | 170 |
Sale Proceeds AES Portion |  | 124 |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | 0 | 80 | 0
Subsidiary Ras Laffan [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) |  | 756 |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent |  | 55.00% |
Sale Proceeds |  | 234 |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | 0 | 6 | 0
Eastern Energy Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) | 1,169 |  |
Asset impairment expense | 827 |  |
Subsidiary Borsod And Tiszapalkonya [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) | 161 |  |
Brazil Telecom [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent | 46.00% |  |
Sale Proceeds | 893 |  |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | 446 | 0 | 0
Edelap Edes And Central Dique [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Sale Proceeds | 4 |  |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | (338) | 0 | 0
Loss recognized due to CTA | 208 |  |
Edelap [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent | 90.00% |  |
Customers Served | 329,000 |  |
Edes [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent | 90.00% |  |
Customers Served | 172,000 |  |
Central Dique [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) | 68 |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent | 51.00% |  |
Carbon Reduction Projects [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent | 100.00% |  |
Asset impairment expense | 40 |  |
Fair Value | 0 |  |
Carrying Amount | 49 |  |
Wind Projects [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Gain (loss) on disposal and impairment, after taxes | $ (22) | $ 0 | $ 0
Thames [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Generation Capacity (MW) | 208 |  |
Subsidiary Barka Service Companies [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Divestiture Of Ownership In Subsidiary Percent |  | 100.00% |

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