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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Goodwill Roll Forward) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	$ 3,896us-gaap_GoodwillGross	$ 3,954us-gaap_GoodwillGross	$ 3,959us-gaap_GoodwillGross	$ 3,896us-gaap_GoodwillGross
Accumulated impairment losses	(2,438)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss	(2,332)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss	(1,960)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss	(2,438)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss
Net balance	1,458us-gaap_Goodwill	1,622us-gaap_Goodwill	1,999us-gaap_Goodwill	1,458us-gaap_Goodwill
Goodwill impairment expense	(164)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss	(372)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss	(1,817)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Other		(5)aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther
Ebute
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill, Written off Related to Sale of Business Unit				58us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_EbuteMember
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill impairment expense					(58)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_EbuteMember
US
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	2,658us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	2,658us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	2,663us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	2,658us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember
Accumulated impairment losses	(2,316)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	(2,152)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	(1,838)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	(2,316)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember
Net balance	342us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	506us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	825us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	342us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember
Goodwill impairment expense		(164)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember	(314)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember
Other		(5)aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_UsGenerationMember
Andes
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	899us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember
Accumulated impairment losses	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember
Net balance	899us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	899us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember
Goodwill impairment expense		0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember
Other		0aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AndesGenerationMember
MCAC
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	149us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember
Accumulated impairment losses	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember
Net balance	149us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	149us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember
Goodwill impairment expense		0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember
Other		0aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_McacGenerationMember
Europe
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	122us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	180us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	180us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	122us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember
Accumulated impairment losses	(122)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	(180)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	(122)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	(122)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember
Net balance	0us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	58us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember
Goodwill impairment expense		0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember	(58)us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember
Other		0aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_EmeaGenerationMember
Asia
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill	68us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_GoodwillGross / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember
Accumulated impairment losses	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairedAccumulatedImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember
Net balance	68us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	68us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember
Goodwill impairment expense		0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember	0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember
Other		$ 0aes_GoodwillTranslationAdjustmentsAndOther / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = aes_AsiaGenerationMember

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