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Asset Impairment Expense (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 208 | $ 537 | $ 1,096
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  | $ 42 | $ 74 | $ 92 | $ 277 | $ 90 | $ 168 |  |  |  | 208 | 537 | 1,096
Shady Point [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 157 | 0 | 0
Assets carrying amount |  | 30 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 30 |  |
Nejapa [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 | 0 | 0
Assets carrying amount |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |
Laurel Mountain [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 121 | 0
Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 92 | 0
Kazakhstan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 94 | 0
Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 77
DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 175 | 859
buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 159
Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 37 | $ 0
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [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] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [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] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109 |  |
Assets carrying amount |  | 346 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 346 |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  | 237 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 237 |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 66 |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Stuart Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Killen Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Parent Company [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 49 |  | $ 23 |  |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Laurel Mountain [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 121 |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 121 |
Assets carrying amount |  | 33 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 33 |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Buffalo Gap I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 77 |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 36 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Miami Fort [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 36 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Zimmer Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | DPL Peaking Generation [Domain] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | $ 5 |  |  | 2 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | DPL Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 235 |  |  | 624 |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 66 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | buffalo gap II [Member] [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 159 |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 92 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Stuart Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 57 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 57 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Killen Station [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | 43 |  |  |  | $ 84 |  |  | 43 |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Kilroot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 |  |
Other Asset Impairment Charges | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 |
Assets carrying amount |  | $ 20 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 20 |  |
Long Lived Assets Held And Used [Member] | Conesville DP&L |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Impairment Expense [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets carrying amount |  |  |  |  | $ 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1 |
[1] | See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense for further information.

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