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Asset Impairment Expense (Narrative) (Details) | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 8 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) project | Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Aug. 28, 2015 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) project | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,096,000,000 | $ 285,000,000 | $ 91,000,000 |
Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | $ 36,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36,000,000 |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 77,000,000 | 0 | 0 |
Parent Company [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  | $ 23,000,000 |  | $ 49,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Killen [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | 43,000,000 |  | $ 84,000,000 |  | $ 84,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 43,000,000 |  |  |
Miami Fort [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | 36,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36,000,000 |  |  |
Zimmer Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | 24,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24,000,000 |  |  |
DPL Peaking Generation [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | 2,000,000 |  | 5,000,000 |  | 5,000,000 |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |
DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  | 624,000,000 |  | $ 235,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 859,000,000 | 0 | 0 |
buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  | 92,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 159,000,000 | 0 | 0 |
Stuart Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | 57,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57,000,000 |  |  |
Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 70,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 121,000,000 | 0 |
Ebute [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 67,000,000 |
Long-Lived Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 103,000,000 |
UK Wind (Newfield) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12,000,000 |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  | 12,000,000 |
DP&L (East Bend) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12,000,000 |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 12,000,000 |
Conesville DP&L |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  | $ 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |
buffalo gap III [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 118,000,000 |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 116,000,000 | $ 0 |
UK Wind Development Projects [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 37,000,000 |  |
number of projects no longer being pursued | project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
number of impaired projects | project |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Long-Lived Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 38,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Fair Value | Ebute [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 36,000,000
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 77,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  | $ 235,000,000 |  |  |  |  | $ 624,000,000 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  | $ 159,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 121,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap III [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 116,000,000 |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | UK Wind Development Projects [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  | $ 37,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
[1] | See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense for further information.

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