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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 29, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 MW | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 MW project | Dec. 31, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2013 MW
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  | $ 164,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss | $ 372,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss | $ 1,817,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss |  |  |  |
Production Capacity (MW) |  | 2,072 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts |  |  | 2,072 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts |  |  |
Goodwill |  | 3,896,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross | 3,954,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross | 3,959,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross | 3,896,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross |  | 3,954,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross |
Effective tax rate | 21.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations |  |  |  |
Amortization of intangible assets |  | 26,000,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets | 29,000,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets | 115,000,000 us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets |  |  |  |
Buffalo Gap |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  |  |  |  | 10,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember | 18,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember |  |
Number of wind projects |  |  |  |  |  | 3 aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember |  |
Production Capacity (MW) |  |  |  |  |  | 524 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember |  |
DPLER |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  |  |  |  |  | 136,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  | 136,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember |  |
Goodwill, fair value |  |  |  |  |  | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember |  |
DP&L |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  |  |  | 1,820,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember |  |  | 307,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember |
Goodwill, fair value |  |  | 316,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember |  |  |  | 316,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember |
Effective tax rate |  |  | 33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember | 298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DPLMember |  |  |  |
Mountain View |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_MountainViewMember |
Number of wind projects |  |  | 2 aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_MountainViewMember |  |  |  | 2 aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_MountainViewMember |
Production Capacity (MW) |  |  | 67 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_MountainViewMember |  |  |  | 67 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_MountainViewMember |
Ebute |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit |  |  |  |  | 58,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_EbuteMember |  |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 58,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_EbuteMember
Production Capacity (MW) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 294 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_EbuteMember

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- Definition The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388964&loc=d3e16225-109274 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275 + Details
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