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Income Taxes (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Tax Expense On Continuing Operations | The following table summarizes the expense for income taxes on continuing operations for the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Federal: | Current | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | 9 |
| Deferred | 545 |  |  | (361 | ) |  | (63 | )
State: | Current | — |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |
| Deferred | 1 |  |  | (4 | ) |  | (5 | )
Foreign: | Current | 335 |  |  | 318 |  |  | 470 |
| Deferred | 109 |  |  | 76 |  |  | — |
Total |  | $ | 990 |  |  | $ | 32 |  |  | $ | 412 |
Reconciliation Of US Federal Income Tax Rates And AES Effective Tax Rate For The Current And Two Prior Years | The following table summarizes a reconciliation of the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate to the Company's effective tax rate as a percentage of income from continuing operations before taxes for the periods indicated:
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Statutory Federal tax rate |  | 35 | % |  | 35 | % |  | 35 | %
State taxes, net of Federal tax benefit |  | (7 | )% |  | (18 | )% |  | (6 | )%
Taxes on foreign earnings |  | — | % |  | (46 | )% |  | 5 | %
Valuation allowance |  | 10 | % |  | 10 | % |  | (5 | )%
Uncertain tax positions |  | — | % |  | 4 | % |  | (1 | )%
Noncontrolling Interest on Buffalo Gap impairments |  | — | % |  | 31 | % |  | 3 | %
Change in tax law |  | 90 | % |  | 12 | % |  | — | %
Goodwill impairment |  | — | % |  | — | % |  | 11 | %
Other—net |  | — | % |  | (11 | )% |  | — | %
Effective tax rate |  | 128 | % |  | 17 | % |  | 42 | %
Schedule Of Income Tax Payable And Receivable | The following table summarizes the income taxes receivable and payable as of the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Income taxes receivable—current |  | $ | 147 |  |  | $ | 136 |
Total income taxes receivable |  | $ | 147 |  |  | $ | 136 |
Income taxes payable—current |  | $ | 129 |  |  | $ | 149 |
Income taxes payable—noncurrent |  | 17 |  |  | 22 |
Total income taxes payable |  | $ | 146 |  |  | $ | 171 |
Summary Of Deferred Tax Assets And Liabilities | The following table summarizes deferred tax assets and liabilities, as of the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Differences between book and tax basis of property |  | $ | (1,424 | ) |  | $ | (1,926 | )
Other taxable temporary differences |  | (143 | ) |  | (335 | )
Total deferred tax liability |  | (1,567 | ) |  | (2,261 | )
Operating loss carryforwards |  | 1,439 |  |  | 2,088 |
Capital loss carryforwards |  | 63 |  |  | 59 |
Bad debt and other book provisions |  | 66 |  |  | 96 |
Tax credit carryforwards |  | 51 |  |  | 54 |
Other deductible temporary differences |  | 60 |  |  | 263 |
Total gross deferred tax asset |  | 1,679 |  |  | 2,560 |
Less: valuation allowance |  | (988 | ) |  | (876 | )
Total net deferred tax asset |  | 691 |  |  | 1,684 |
Net deferred tax (liability) |  | $ | (876 | ) |  | $ | (577 | )
Income Before Income Taxes, Foreign And Domestic | The following table shows the income (loss) from continuing operations, before income taxes, net equity in earnings of affiliates and noncontrolling interests, for the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
U.S. |  | $ | (511 | ) |  | $ | (1,305 | ) |  | $ | (612 | )
Non-U.S. |  | 1,282 |  |  | 1,492 |  |  | 1,601 |
Total |  | $ | 771 |  |  | $ | 187 |  |  | $ | 989 |
Uncertain Tax Positions [Table Text Block] | The following table shows the total amount of gross accrued income taxes related to interest and penalties included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016
Interest related |  | $ | 7 |  |  | $ | 6 |
Penalties related |  | — |  |  | — |
The following table shows the expense/(benefit) related to interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits for the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Total expense (benefit) for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 2 |  |  | $ | (2 | )
Total expense for penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Tax Years Potentially Subject To Examination And Jurisdictions | The following is a summary of tax years potentially subject to examination in the significant tax and business jurisdictions in which we operate:
Jurisdiction |  | Tax Years Subject to Examination
Argentina |  | 2011-2017
Brazil |  | 2012-2017
Chile |  | 2014-2017
Colombia |  | 2015-2017
Dominican Republic |  | 2015-2017
El Salvador |  | 2014-2017
Netherlands |  | 2014-2017
Philippines |  | 2013-2017
United Kingdom |  | 2012-2017
United States (Federal) |  | 2014-2017
Unrecognized Tax Benefits | The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits for the periods indicated (in millions):
December 31, |  | 2017 |  | 2016 |  | 2015
Balance at January 1 |  | $ | 352 |  |  | $ | 364 |  |  | $ | 384 |
Additions for current year tax positions |  | — |  |  | 2 |  |  | 2 |
Additions for tax positions of prior years |  | 2 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 12 |
Reductions for tax positions of prior years |  | (5 | ) |  | (1 | ) |  | (7 | )
Effects of foreign currency translation |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | (3 | )
Settlements |  | — |  |  | (13 | ) |  | (17 | )
Lapse of statute of limitations |  | (1 | ) |  | (1 | ) |  | (7 | )
Balance at December 31 |  | $ | 348 |  |  | $ | 352 |  |  | $ | 364 |

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the components of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for each year presented including, but not limited to: current tax expense (benefit), deferred tax expense (benefit), investment tax credits, government grants, the benefits of operating loss carryforwards, tax expense that results from allocating certain tax benefits either directly to contributed capital or to reduce goodwill or other noncurrent intangible assets of an acquired entity, adjustments of a deferred tax liability or asset for enacted changes in tax laws or rates or a change in the tax status of the entity, and adjustments of the beginning-of-the-year balances of a valuation allowance because of a change in circumstances that causes a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax asset in future years. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32639-109319 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the components of net deferred tax asset or liability recognized in an entity's statement of financial position, including the following: the total of all deferred tax liabilities, the total of all deferred tax assets, the total valuation allowance recognized for deferred tax assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32537-109319 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the reconciliation using percentage or dollar amounts of the reported amount of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for the year to the amount of income tax expense that would result from applying domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure for tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities and other income tax contingencies. Includes, but is not limited to, interest and penalties, reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits, unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the effective tax rate, tax years that remain subject to examination by tax jurisdictions, and information about positions for which it is reasonably possible that amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=SL6600010-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 19 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32840-109319 + Details
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- Definition Tabular disclosure of income tax examinations that an enterprise is currently subject to or that have been completed in the current period typically including a description of the examination, the jurisdiction conducting the examination, the tax year(s) under examination, the likelihood of an unfavorable settlement, the range of possible losses, the liability recorded, the increase or decrease in the liability from the prior period, and any penalties and interest that have been recorded. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 217 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96868398&loc=d3e36027-109320 + Details
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