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Income Taxes (Textuals) (Details) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended | |||
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Dec. 31, 2012
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Dec. 31, 2011
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| Intraperiod income tax [Line Items] | ||||
| Number of States for NOL Carryforwards | 22cpn_NumberofStatesforNOLCarryforwards | |||
| Federal statutory tax expense (benefit) rate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | |
| Income Tax Disclosure (Textuals) [Abstract] | ||||
| Unrecognized Tax Benefits | $ 56,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 68,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 92,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 74,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits |
| Unrecognized Tax Benefits that Would Impact Effective Tax Rate | 13,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate | |||
| Unrecognized Tax Benefits Resulting in Net Operating Loss Carryforward | 43,000,000cpn_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitRelatedtoDeferredTaxAsset | |||
| Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued | 11,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued | 13,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued | ||
| Valuation allowance | 1,836,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance | 2,246,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance | ||
| Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 410,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount | 24,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount | 114,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount | |
| Miscellaneous increase in state, Deferred Tax Assets | 18,000,000cpn_MiscellaneousincreaseinstateDeferredTaxAssets | |||
| Tax refund due to foreign dividend income treatment | 10,000,000cpn_TaxRefundDueToForeignDividendIncomeTreatment | |||
| Tax refund plus accrued interest due to foreign dividend income treatment | 13,000,000cpn_TaxRefundPlusAccruedInterestDueToForeignDividendIncomeTreatment | |||
| Accrued interest on foreign dividend refund | 3,000,000cpn_AccruedInterestOnForeignDividendRefund | |||
| Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense | (2,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | (11,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | 4,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestExpense | |
| Federal [Domain] | ||||
| Income Tax Disclosure (Textuals) [Abstract] | ||||
| Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits, Share-based Compensation Cost | 37,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = cpn_FederalDomain |
25,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = cpn_FederalDomain |
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| State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | ||||
| Income Tax Disclosure (Textuals) [Abstract] | ||||
| Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits, Share-based Compensation Cost | 21,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember |
16,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefitsShareBasedCompensationCost / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis = us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember |
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| Expiration date 2014 through 2034 [Member] | ||||
| Income Tax Disclosure (Textuals) [Abstract] | ||||
| Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, State and Local | 4,000,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = cpn_Expirationdate2015through2034Member |
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| Expiration date 2026 and 2034 [Member] | ||||
| Income Tax Disclosure (Textuals) [Abstract] | ||||
| Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign | 800,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = cpn_Expirationdate2026and2034Member |
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| Expiration date 2023 through 2034 [Member] | ||||
| Intraperiod income tax [Line Items] | ||||
| Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Domestic | $ 6,900,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsDomestic / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = cpn_Expirationdate2023through2033Member |
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- Definition
Accrued interest on foreign dividend refund No definition available.
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Miscellaneous increase in state, Deferred Tax Assets No definition available.
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Number of States for NOL Carryforwards No definition available.
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- Definition
Tax refund due to foreign dividend income treatment No definition available.
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Tax refund plus accrued interest due to foreign dividend income treatment No definition available.
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Unrecognized Tax Benefit Related to Deferred Tax Asset No definition available.
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- Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible domestic operating loss carryforwards. Excludes state and local operating loss carryforwards. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible foreign operating loss carryforwards. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible state and local operating loss carryforwards. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from share-based compensation. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss). Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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Amount accrued for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of expense for interest on an underpayment of income taxes and penalties related to a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed in the tax return. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of increase (decrease) in the valuation allowance for a specified deferred tax asset. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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