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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 29, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Sep. 29, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Prior Year Income Taxes, Percent | 20.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes |  |  |  |  |
Effective tax rate | 21.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations |  |
Scheduled maximum income tax percentage under APS tax system | 25.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentageunderAPStaxsystem |  |  |  | 25.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentageunderAPStaxsystem |
Scheduled maximum income tax percent under PIS tax system | 27.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentunderPIStaxsystem |  |  |  | 27.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentunderPIStaxsystem |
Tax Adjustments, Settlements, and Unusual Provisions | $ 46,000,000 us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions |  |  |  |  |
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance |  | (93,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount | 195,000,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount |  |  |
Valuation allowance |  | 997,000,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance | 1,090,000,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance |  |  |
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates |  | 38,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates | 70,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates | 81,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates |  |
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates per share (in dollars per share) |  | $ 0.04 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare | $ 0.09 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare | $ 0.10 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued: |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest on income taxes accrued |  | 14,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued | 12,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued |  |  |
Income tax penalties accrued |  | 1,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued | 1,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued |  |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense: |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest on income taxes expense |  | (3,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense | 4,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense | (3,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense |  |
Income tax penalties expense |  | 0 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense | 3,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense | (1,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense |  |
Uncertain Tax Positions Additional Disclosures: |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits |  | 395,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 392,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | 475,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits |  | 464,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate |  | 366,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 360,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | 444,000,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate portion with attributes warranting full valuation allowance |  | 24,000,000 aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance | 26,000,000 aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance | 45,000,000 aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits anticipated to result in net decrease of unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months, minimum |  | 10,000,000 aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAnticipatedToResultInNetDecreaseOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsWithin12MonthsOfBalanceSheetDateMinimum |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits anticipated to result in net decrease of unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months, maximum |  | 15,000,000 aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAnticipatedToResultInNetDecreaseOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsWithin12MonthsOfBalanceSheetDateMaximum |  |  |  |
Federal |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating loss carryforwards |  | 3,400,000,000 us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember |  |  |  |
Operating loss carryforwards amount related to stock option deductions to be recognized in APIC |  | 87,000,000 aes_OperatingLossCarryforwardsAmountRelatedToStockOptionDeductionsToBeRecognizedInApic / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember |  |  |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating loss carryforwards |  | 7,800,000,000 us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember |  |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating loss carryforwards |  | 3,700,000,000 us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember |  |  |  |
Philippines |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates |  | 21,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH | 41,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH | 60,000,000 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH |  |
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates per share (in dollars per share) |  | $ 0.02 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH | $ 0.05 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH | $ 0.07 aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = country_PH |  |
General Business Tax Credit Carryforward |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax credit carryforward |  | 18,000,000 us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount / us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis = us-gaap_GeneralBusinessMember |  |  |  |
Federal Alternative Minimum Tax |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax credit carryforward |  | 5,000,000 us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount / us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis = aes_FederalAlternativeMinimumTaxMember |  |  |  |
Foreign Jurisdictions |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax credit carryforward |  | 34,000,000 us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount / us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis = aes_ForeignJurisdictionsMember |  |  |  |
Year 2018 to 2025 | Foreign Jurisdictions |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax credit carryforward |  | 26,000,000 us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount / us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis = aes_ForeignJurisdictionsMember / aes_TaxCreditExpirationAxis = aes_Year2017to2024Member |  |  |  |
No Expiration |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax credit carryforward |  | $ 8,000,000 us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount / aes_TaxCreditExpirationAxis = aes_NoExpirationMember |  |  |  |

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