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Asset Retirement Obligation (Notes) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2022
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract] |
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Text Block] | ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS The following table presents amounts recognized related to asset retirement obligations for the periods indicated (in millions):
|  | 2022 |  | 2021
Balance at January 1 |  | $ | 606 |  |  | $ | 462 |
Additional liabilities incurred |  | 97 |  |  | 27 |
Liabilities assumed in acquisition |  | 15 |  |  | 96 |
Liabilities settled |  | (29) |  |  | (15) |
Accretion expense |  | 30 |  |  | 22 |
Change in estimated cash flows |  | 35 |  |  | 13 |
Other |  | 3 |  |  | 1 |
Balance at December 31 |  | $ | 757 |  |  | $ | 606 |
The Company's asset retirement obligations include active ash landfills, water treatment basins and the removal or dismantlement of certain plants and equipment. The Company uses the cost approach to determine the initial value of ARO liabilities, which is estimated by discounting expected cash outflows to their present value using market-based rates at the initial recording of the liabilities. Cash outflows are based on the approximate future disposal costs as determined by market information, historical information or other management estimates. Subsequent downward revisions of ARO liabilities are discounted using the market-based rates that existed when the liability was initially recognized. These inputs to the fair value of the ARO liabilities are considered Level 3 inputs under the fair value hierarchy. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company increased the asset retirement obligations and corresponding assets at Southland Energy, AES Clean Energy, AES Indiana, and AES Brasil by $75 million, $27 million, $27 million, and $16 million, respectively. The increase at Southland Energy is mostly due to additional liabilities incurred related to a demolition obligation at Alamitos. The increase at AES Clean Energy is mostly due to additional liabilities incurred as a result of new development projects. The increase at AES Indiana is primarily due to an upward revision of estimated cash flows at the Petersburg, Eagle Valley, and Harding Street plants. The increase at AES Brasil is primarily due to the initial recognition of asset retirement obligations as a result of the Cubico II acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company increased the asset retirement obligations and corresponding assets at AES Clean Energy and Chile by $93 million and $36 million, respectively. The increase at AES Clean Energy is mostly due to the initial recognition of asset retirement obligations as a result of the New York Wind acquisition. The increase in Chile is primarily due to shortened useful lives of the Ventanas and Angamos coal plants, additional liabilities incurred due to the development of the Andes Solar 2b plant, and an upward revision of estimated cash flows at the Los Cururos plant.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for an asset retirement obligation and the associated long-lived asset. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement from service of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481850/410-20-50-1 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 410 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//410-20/tableOfContent Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -SubTopic 20 -Topic 410 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481850/410-20-50-2 + Details
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