v3.19.3.a.u2

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Other Commitments [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months | [1] |  | $ 50 |
Royalty Expense |  | $ 24 | 26 | $ 25
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value |  | 0 |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation |  |  |  |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years | [1] |  | 19 |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years | [1] |  | 20 |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years | [1] |  | 18 |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years | [1] |  | 17 |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter | [1] |  | 192 |
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due | [1] |  | $ 316 |
LTSA [Member] |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation |  | $ 217 |  |
Minimum [Member] | LTSA [Member] |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Term |  | 1 year |  |
Maximum [Member] | LTSA [Member] |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation |  |  |  |
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Term |  | 20 years |  |
[1] | During the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, expense for operating leases amounted to $53 million and $50 million, respectively.

X
- Definition The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118943654&loc=d3e12069-110248 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueCurrent
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of required minimum rental payments for operating leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable lease term in excess of one year due after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 10 -Section 55 -Paragraph 40 -Subparagraph (Note 3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82846649&loc=d3e38371-112697 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 840 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77902758&loc=d3e41502-112717 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of expense related to royalty payments under a contractual arrangement such as payment for mineral and drilling rights and use of technology or intellectual property. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116634182&loc=SL114868664-224227 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_RoyaltyExpense
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of the unrecorded obligation to transfer funds in the future for fixed or minimum amounts or quantities of goods or services at fixed or minimum prices (for example, as in take-or-pay contracts or throughput contracts). + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77896938&loc=d3e25336-109308 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceSheetAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Term of the unrecognized unconditional purchase obligation, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77896938&loc=d3e25336-109308 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationTerm
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis=cpn_LtsaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |