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Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 07, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Mar. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business |  | $ 128 |  | $ (21) |  | $ 89 |  | $ 788 |  |  |  |  | $ (48) |  |  |  | $ 984 | $ (52) | $ 29
Other Asset Impairment Charges |  | 42 |  | 74 |  | 92 |  |  |  | $ 277 |  |  | 90 |  | $ 168 |  | 208 | 537 | 1,096
Revenues |  | 2,622 |  | 2,837 |  | 2,537 |  | 2,740 |  | 2,643 |  | $ 2,693 | 2,613 |  | 2,581 |  | 10,736 | 10,530 | 10,281
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating margin |  | 646 |  | 671 |  | 600 |  | 656 |  | 645 |  | 640 | 623 |  | 557 |  | 2,573 | 2,465 | 2,383
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, net of Tax |  | 155 | [1] | 192 | [1] | 224 | [1] | 778 | [1] | (622) | [2] | 235 | 142 | [2] | 97 | [2] | 1,349 | (148) | 191
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest |  | 26 |  | (1) |  | 192 | [3] | (1) |  | (664) | [4] | 26 | 8 |  | 1 |  |  |  |
NET INCOME (LOSS) |  | 181 |  | 191 |  | 416 |  | 777 |  | (1,286) |  | 261 | 150 |  | 98 |  | 1,565 | (777) | (777)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent |  | $ 128 |  | $ 101 |  | $ 290 |  | $ 684 |  | $ (1,342) |  | $ 152 | $ 53 |  | $ (24) |  | $ 1,203 | $ (1,161) | $ (1,130)
Basic earnings per share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax |  | $ 0.15 |  | $ 0.15 |  | $ 0.15 |  | $ 1.04 |  | $ (1.03) |  | $ 0.22 | $ 0.08 |  | $ (0.04) |  | $ 1.49 | $ (0.77) | $ (0.04)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share |  | 0.04 |  | 0 |  | 0.29 |  | 0 |  | (1.00) |  | 0.01 | 0 |  | 0 |  | 0.33 | (0.99) | (1.68)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE AES CORPORATION COMMON STOCKHOLDERS |  | 0.19 |  | 0.15 |  | 0.44 |  | 1.04 |  | (2.03) |  | 0.23 | 0.08 |  | (0.04) |  | 1.82 | (1.76) | (1.72)
Diluted earnings per share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax |  | 0.15 |  | 0.15 |  | 0.15 |  | 1.03 |  | (1.03) |  | 0.22 | 0.08 |  | (0.04) |  | 1.48 | (0.77) | (0.04)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share |  | 0.04 |  | 0 |  | 0.29 |  | 0 |  | (1.00) |  | 0.01 | 0 |  | 0 |  | 0.33 | (0.99) | (1.68)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted |  | 0.19 |  | 0.15 |  | 0.44 |  | 1.03 |  | (2.03) |  | 0.23 | 0.08 |  | (0.04) |  | 1.81 | (1.76) | (1.72)
Dividends declared per common share | $ 0.1365 | $ 0.27 |  | $ 0.13 |  | $ 0 |  | $ 0.13 |  | $ 0.25 |  | $ 0.12 | $ 0 |  | $ 0.12 |  | $ 0.53 | $ 0.49 | $ 0.45
Equity Method Investment, Other than Temporary Impairment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 144 |  |
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 708 | $ 990 | $ 32
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 225 | $ (611) | $ (1,119)
UNITED STATES |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Diluted earnings per share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 675 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 869 |  |
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (38) |  |
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Diluted earnings per share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax |  |  |  |  |  | $ 199 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (611) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Change in Accounting Estimate, Type [Domain] | UNITED STATES |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Diluted earnings per share: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) |  | $ 161 |  | $ 33 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability |  | $ (77) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 39 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
[1] | Includes pre-tax gains on sales of business interests of $788 million, $89 million and $128 million, in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively, and pre-tax losses of $21 million in the third quarter of 2018 (See Note 23—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions), pre-tax impairment expense of $92 million, $74 million and $42 million, in the second, third and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively (See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense), other-than-temporary impairment of Guacolda of $144 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 (See Note 7—Investments in and Advances to Affiliates), SAB 118 charges to finalize the provisional estimate of one-time transition tax on foreign earnings of $33 million and $161 million in the third and fourth quarters of 2018, respectively, and a SAB 118 income tax benefit to finalize the provisional estimate of remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities to the lower corporate tax rate of $77 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 (See Note 21—Income Taxes).
[2] | Includes provisional tax expense related to a one-time transition tax on foreign earnings of $675 million and the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities to the lower corporate tax rate of $39 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 (See Note 21—Income Taxes), pre-tax impairment expense of $168 million, $90 million and $277 million, in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2017, respectively (See Note 20—Asset Impairment Expense), and pre-tax losses on sales of business interests of $48 million in second quarter of 2017 (See Note 23—Held-for-Sale and Dispositions).
[3] | Includes gain on sale of Eletropaulo of $199 million in the second quarter of 2018 (See Note 22—Discontinued Operations).
[4] | Includes loss on deconsolidation of Eletropaulo of $611 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 (See Note 22—Discontinued Operations).

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