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Fair Value (Instruments Not Measured at Fair Value) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Carrying Amount [Member]
Financial Instruments Not Measured At Fair Value In the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Accounts receivable - noncurrent	$ 297	[1]	$ 304	[1]
Non-recourse debt	15,366		14,781
Recourse debt	5,670		5,962
Fair Value [Member]
Financial Instruments Not Measured At Fair Value In the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Accounts receivable - noncurrent	164	[1]	188	[1]
Non-recourse debt	15,533		15,506
Recourse debt	6,108		6,628
Value added tax	47		55
Fair Value [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Financial Instruments Not Measured At Fair Value In the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Accounts receivable - noncurrent	0	[1]	0	[1]
Non-recourse debt	0		0
Recourse debt	0		0
Fair Value [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Financial Instruments Not Measured At Fair Value In the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Accounts receivable - noncurrent	0	[1]	0	[1]
Non-recourse debt	13,312		13,266
Recourse debt	6,108		6,628
Fair Value [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Financial Instruments Not Measured At Fair Value In the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets [Abstract]
Accounts receivable - noncurrent	164	[1]	188	[1]
Non-recourse debt	2,221		2,240
Recourse debt	$ 0		$ 0
[1] These accounts receivable principally relate to amounts due from CAMMESA, the administrator of the wholesale electricity market in Argentina, and are included in “Noncurrent assets — Other” in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The fair value of these accounts receivable excludes value-added tax of $47 million and $55 million at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

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- Definition

Non-recourse debt is secured by the capital stock, physical assets, contracts and cash flows of the related subsidiary. The risk is limited to the respective subsidiary business and is without recourse to the Parent Company and other subsidiaries.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Recourse debt is direct borrowings by the Parent Company that is structurally subordinate to the affiliates non-recourse debt.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount due from customers or clients, more than one year from the balance sheet date, for goods or services that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 3

-Article 5

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- Definition

Carrying amount due after one year of the balance sheet date (or one operating cycle), if longer of value added taxes due either from customers arising from sales on credit terms, or as previously overpaid to tax authorities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 8

-Article 5

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