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Asset Impairment Expense (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions | 2 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 8 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Feb. 28, 2017 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Aug. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) project | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2015 project
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 537 | $ 1,096 | $ 285 |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 537 | 1,096 | 285 |  |
Laurel Mountain [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 121 | 0 | 0 |  |
Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92 | 0 | 0 |  |
Kazakhstan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 94 | 0 | 0 |  |
Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 77 | 0 |  |
DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 175 | 859 | 0 |  |
buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 159 | 0 |  |
Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 | 0 | 121 |  |
UK Wind (Newfield) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  | 37 |  |
buffalo gap III [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 116 |  |
UK Wind Development Projects [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 | 37 |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 38 |  |
number of projects no longer being pursued | project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |
number of impaired projects | project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92 |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  | $ 190 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) |  |  | 100 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  |  | $ 92 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kazakhstan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 94 |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 171 |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92 |  |  |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 29 |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | DPL Peaking Generation [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109 |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 346 |  |  |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 237 |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 66 |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Stuart Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Killen Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Parent Company [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  | $ 49 |  |  | $ 23 |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Laurel Mountain [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 121 |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 33 |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  | 121 |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 77 |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36 |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  | $ 77 |  |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Miami Fort [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Zimmer Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | DPL Peaking Generation [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  | $ 5 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  | 235 |  |  |  | 624 |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] | $ 66 |  |  | 235 |  |  |  | 624 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 159 |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92 |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  | $ 159 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Stuart Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Killen Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  | $ 84 |  |  |  | 43 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 |  | 121 |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 |  | 70 |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 37 |  |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Conesville DP&L |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap III [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 116 |  |
Assets, fair value |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 118 |  |
[1] | See Note 19—Asset Impairment Expense for further information.

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- Definition Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) in the disposal group, including discontinued operation, recognized in the statement of income as a result of the sale or complete or substantially complete liquidation of an investment in a foreign entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 20 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64808268&loc=d3e32211-110900 + Details
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