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Acquisitions Acquistions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2021 | Jun. 30, 2021 | Mar. 31, 2021 | Mar. 31, 2020 | Jun. 30, 2021 | Sep. 30, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 28 |  |  |
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain |  | $ 178 | $ 36 |  | $ 214 |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Goodwill Recognized, Description |  |  | 81 million |  |  | 45 million |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination |  |  |  |  |  | $ 7 |  |  |  |
Additional Paid in Capital |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,119 |  | $ 7,561 |
AIMCo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners | 25.00% |  |  |  |  | 25.00% |  |  |  |
Other Income [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition of a VIE, Contingent Consideration, Remeasurement Gain |  |  |  |  |  |  | 28 | [1] | 0 | $ 0
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain |  |  |  |  |  |  | 254 | [2] | $ 0 | 0
Cubico Wind Complex |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 109 |  |  |
Great Cove Solar I |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 13 |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability |  |  | $ 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Consideration Transferred, Other Assets | $ 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Great Cove Solar II |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability |  | $ 22 |  |  | $ 22 |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Consideration Transferred, Other Assets | 12 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Great Cove |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition of a VIE, Contingent Consideration, Remeasurement Gain |  |  |  |  |  | $ 32 |  |  |  |
Cajuina Wind Complex |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 22 |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  |  |
Cajuina Wind Complex II |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability | $ 3 |  |  |  |  | $ 3 |  |  |  |
Serra Verde Wind Complex |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18 |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes Payable |  |  |  |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |
New York Wind |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 352 |  |  |
Business Combination, Goodwill Recognized, Description |  |  |  |  |  |  | 199 million |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-Recourse Debt |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 126 |  |  |
Community Energy |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  |  |  |  | 232 |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 217 |  |  |
Other Payments to Acquire Businesses |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 15 |  |  |
Business Combination, Goodwill Recognized, Description |  |  |  |  |  |  | 90 million |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-Recourse Debt |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 38 |  |  |
sPower [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred |  |  | $ 102 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional Paid in Capital |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3 |  |  |
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |  | 50.00% |
Hardy Hills Wind |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, Liability |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3 |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  | 52 |  |  |
Business Combination, Bargain Purchase, Gain Recognized, Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 6 |  |  |
Los Cururos [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  | $ 5 |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Consideration Transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 143
Penonome Wind [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Asset Acquisition, Purchase Price |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 80 |
Ventus Wind Complex [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 90 |
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 44 |
Other Payments to Acquire Businesses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3 |
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25.00% |  |  |
AES Clean Energy |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired | 75.00% |  |  |  |  | 75.00% |  |  |  |
Mountain View Power Partners |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired |  |  |  |  |  |  | 75.00% |  |  |
[1] | Primarily related to the remeasurement of contingent consideration on the Great Cove Solar acquisition at Clean Energy See Note 25—Acquisitions for further information.
[2] | Primarily related to the remeasurement of our existing equity interest in sPower’s development platform as part of the step acquisition to form AES Clean Energy Development. See Note 25—Acquisitions for further information.

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- Definition The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123570139&loc=d3e3213-108585 + Details
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