Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	$ 11	$ 12	$ 10
Employer Matching Contribution Percentage	100.00%
Deferral Election Percentage For Employer Matching Contribution	5.00%
Employee Deferral Limit Percentage	75.00%
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets for Plan Benefits	14	12
Pension and Other Postretirement Defined Benefit Plans, Liabilities	20	21
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	6	9
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost	2	1	1
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	1	5
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Current Fiscal Year	1	2
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year	2
Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payments in Five Fiscal Years Thereafter	$ 1

Deferral Election Percentage For Employer Matching Contribution

No definition available.

Name:	cpn_DeferralElectionPercentageForEmployerMatchingContribution
Namespace Prefix:	cpn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	cpn_DefinedContributionAndDefinedBenefitPlansAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	cpn_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Employee Deferral Limit Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpn_EmployeeDeferralLimitPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	cpn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Employer Matching Contribution Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpn_EmployerMatchingContributionPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	cpn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The pretax total of net gain (loss), prior service cost (credit), and transition assets (obligations), as well as minimum pension liability if still remaining, included in accumulated other comprehensive income associated with a defined benefit pension or other postretirement plan(s) because they have yet to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (j)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 220

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 10A

-Subparagraph (i-k)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358780&loc=SL7669646-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate net amount recognized in the balance sheet associated with the defined benefit plan(s). Will normally be the same as the Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21915240&loc=d3e1703-114919

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAmountsRecognizedInBalanceSheet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This represents the entire assets recognized in the balance sheet that are associated with the defined benefit plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.10)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21915240&loc=d3e1703-114919

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.10)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssetsForPlanBenefitsCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the five fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFiveFiscalYearsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total amount of net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans for the period. Periodic benefit costs include the following components: service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss), prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) due to settlements or curtailments.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanNetPeriodicBenefitCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan in the current remaining fiscal period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan during the next fiscal year beginning after the date of the latest statement of financial position.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInNextFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 70

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This represents the entire liability recognized in the balance sheet that is associated with the defined benefit plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.15)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.15)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e2417-114920

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e2410-114920

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21915240&loc=d3e1703-114919

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PensionAndOtherPostretirementDefinedBenefitPlansLiabilitiesCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant