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Income Taxes (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income from Continuing Operations before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates [Table Text Block] | 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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
U.S. |  | $ | (135) |  |  | $ | (57) |  |  | $ | (218) |
Non-U.S. |  | 623 |  |  | 1,058 |  |  | 2,236 |
Total |  | $ | 488 |  |  | $ | 1,001 |  |  | $ | 2,018 |
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Federal: | Current | $ | (8) |  |  | $ | (7) |  |  | $ | 7 |
| Deferred | (17) |  |  | (4) |  |  | 186 |
State: | Current | — |  |  | (1) |  |  | 2 |
| Deferred | 2 |  |  | — |  |  | 5 |
Foreign: | Current | 458 |  |  | 368 |  |  | 378 |
| Deferred | (219) |  |  | (4) |  |  | 130 |
Total |  | $ | 216 |  |  | $ | 352 |  |  | $ | 708 |
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Statutory Federal tax rate |  | 21 | % |  | 21 | % |  | 21 | %
State taxes, net of Federal tax benefit |  | (6) | % |  | 6 | % |  | 2 | %
Taxes on foreign earnings |  | 15 | % |  | 12 | % |  | 9 | %
Valuation allowance |  | 16 | % |  | (2) | % |  | (2) | %
Change in tax law |  | 3 | % |  | (1) | % |  | 6 | %
US Investment Tax Credit |  | (8) | % |  | — | % |  | — | %
Other—net |  | 3 | % |  | (1) | % |  | (1) | %
Effective tax rate |  | 44 | % |  | 35 | % |  | 35 | %
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Income taxes receivable—current |  | $ | 138 |  |  | $ | 131 |
Income taxes receivable—noncurrent |  | 9 |  |  | 10 |
Total income taxes receivable |  | $ | 147 |  |  | $ | 141 |
Income taxes payable—current |  | $ | 284 |  |  | $ | 172 |
Income taxes payable—noncurrent |  | — |  |  | — |
Total income taxes payable |  | $ | 284 |  |  | $ | 172 |
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Differences between book and tax basis of property |  | $ | (1,308) |  |  | $ | (1,426) |
Investment in U.S. tax partnerships |  | (332) |  |  | (44) |
Other taxable temporary differences |  | (403) |  |  | (287) |
Total deferred tax liability |  | (2,043) |  |  | (1,757) |
Operating loss carryforwards |  | 1,156 |  |  | 1,060 |
Capital loss carryforwards |  | 73 |  |  | 57 |
Bad debt and other book provisions |  | 87 |  |  | 74 |
Tax credit carryforwards |  | 78 |  |  | 33 |
Other deductible temporary differences |  | 471 |  |  | 300 |
Total gross deferred tax asset |  | 1,865 |  |  | 1,524 |
Less: Valuation allowance |  | (634) |  |  | (824) |
Total net deferred tax asset |  | 1,231 |  |  | 700 |
Net deferred tax liability |  | $ | (812) |  |  | $ | (1,057) |
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Interest related |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 2 |
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, |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Total benefit for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | (3) |
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 |  | 2014-2020
Brazil |  | 2015-2020
Chile |  | 2017-2020
Colombia |  | 2016-2020
Dominican Republic |  | 2015-2020
El Salvador |  | 2017-2020
Netherlands |  | 2014-2020
Panama |  | 2017-2020
United Kingdom |  | 2017-2020
United States (Federal) |  | 2017-2020
Unrecognized Tax Benefits | The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits for the periods indicated (in millions):
|  | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Balance at January 1 |  | $ | 465 |  |  | $ | 463 |  |  | $ | 348 |
Additions for current year tax positions |  | — |  |  | 6 |  |  | 2 |
Additions for tax positions of prior years |  | 3 |  |  | 4 |  |  | 146 |
Reductions for tax positions of prior years |  | (6) |  |  | (5) |  |  | (26) |
Lapse of statute of limitations |  | (4) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (7) |
Balance at December 31 |  | $ | 458 |  |  | $ | 465 |  |  | $ | 463 |

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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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -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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