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Redeemable Stock of Subsidiaries (Narrative) (Details) |  | 1 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Feb. 11, 2015 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Feb. 28, 2015 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) quarter | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) quarter series $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) quarter series $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Apr. 01, 2015 USD ($)
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Stock in Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Carrying Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 782,000,000 | 538,000,000 |  |  |  |
Temporary equity carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | 782,000,000 | 538,000,000 |  | $ 78,000,000 |  |
Temporary Equity, Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues |  |  |  |  |  |  | 134,000,000 | 460,000,000 |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Other Changes |  |  |  |  |  |  | 130,000,000 | 0 |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Net Income |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,000,000) | 0 |  | 0 |  |
Temporary Equity, Accretion to Redemption Value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,000,000 | 0 |  |  |  |
Colon [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |  |  |  |  |  | 49.90% | 25.00% |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity carrying amount | [1] |  |  |  |  |  | $ 100,000,000 | 0 |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Other Changes |  |  |  |  |  | $ 106,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Accretion to Redemption Value |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |  |  |  |  |  | 30.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | 618,000,000 | 460,000,000 |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues |  |  |  | $ 134,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Other Changes |  |  | $ 24,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
IPL Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 60,000,000 | 60,000,000 |  |  |  |
Number of preferred stock series | series |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity annual dividend requirement |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,000,000 | $ 3,000,000 |  |  |  |
Number of consecutive quarters without paid dividends to invoke board of directors election rule | quarter |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 4 |  |  |  |
IPL Subsidiary | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity, redemption price per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 100 | $ 100 |  |  |  |
IPL Subsidiary | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity, redemption price per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 118 | $ 118 |  |  |  |
DPL Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  |
Number of preferred stock series | series |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |
Temporary equity annual dividend requirement |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of quarters cumulative dividends in arrears to invoke board of directors election rule | quarter |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  | 4 |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Accretion to Redemption Value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
DPL Subsidiary | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity, redemption price per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 101 | $ 101 |  |  |  |
DPL Subsidiary | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary equity, redemption price per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 103 | $ 103 |  |  |  |
AES US Investment, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of Stock, Consideration Received Per Transaction |  | $ 247,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment In Affiliate Ownership Percentage Sold |  | 15.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24.90%
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
sales agreement, Buyer option to purchase ownership interest, exercised |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 214,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity, Other Changes |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 6,000,000 | $ 0 |  |  |  |
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests |  |  |  |  |  |  | 84,000,000 | 323,000,000 |  | 29,000,000 |  |
Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] | IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Separately Recognized Transactions, Additional Disclosures, Issuance Costs Not Expensed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 84,000,000 |  |  |  |
Retained Earnings [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests |  |  |  |  |  |  | (84,000,000) | (377,000,000) |  | 0 |  |
Retained Earnings [Member] | IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of subsidiary shares to noncontrolling interests |  |  |  |  |  |  | (84,000,000) | $ (377,000,000) | [2] | $ 0 | [2] |
Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity Reclassification |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | $ (19,000,000) |  |  |  |  |
Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member] | DPL Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest, Equity, Preferred, Redemption Value |  |  |  |  |  | $ 23,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquire additional shares through 2016 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment Options, acquisition percentage |  |  |  |  | 17.65% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquire additional shares through 2016 [Member] | IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temporary Equity [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale Agreement, Buyer Option To Purchase Ownership Interest, Sales Price |  |  |  |  | $ 349,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
[1] | Characteristics of quotas are similar to common stock.
[2] | See Note 18—Redeemable stock of subsidiaries for further information on increase in paid-in capital transferred to redeemable stock of subsidiaries.

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