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Goodwill Impairment (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |
Goodwill impairment expense | $ 0 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss | $ 154,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
DPLER [Member] |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |
Goodwill |  | 136,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillGross / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember
Goodwill implied fair value |  | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillFairValueDisclosure / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember
Goodwill impairment expense |  | 136,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_DplerMember
Buffalo Gap [Member] |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |
Goodwill impairment expense |  | $ 18,000,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember
Number of wind projects | 3 aes_GoodwillImpairmentTestNumberofWindProjects / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember |
Generation capacity mega watts | 524 aes_GenerationCapacityMegaWatts / dei_LegalEntityAxis = aes_BuffaloGapMember |

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- Definition Fair value portion of asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19190-110258 + Details
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- Definition Amount before accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a,h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
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- Definition Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + 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 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13854-109267 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13777-109266 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
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