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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (GenOn, GenOn Americas Generation and GenOn Mid-Atlantic) (Policies)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Chapter 11 Cases
Chapter 11 Cases
As further described in Note 3, Chapter 11 Cases, on June 14, 2017, GenOn, along with GenOn Americas Generation and certain of their directly and indirectly-owned subsidiaries, or collectively the GenOn Entities, filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11, or the Chapter 11 Cases, of the United States Bankruptcy Code, or the Bankruptcy Code, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, or the Bankruptcy Court. GenOn Mid-Atlantic, as well as its consolidated subsidiaries, REMA and certain other subsidiaries, did not file for relief under Chapter 11.
The GenOn Entities remain in possession of their property and continue their business operations in the ordinary course uninterrupted as "debtors-in-possession" under jurisdiction of the Bankruptcy Court and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and orders of the Bankruptcy Court. The consolidated financial statements for GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation were prepared in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 852, Reorganizations, for debtors-in-possession.
Liquidity and Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
Liquidity and Ability to Continue as a Going Concern
As described above and in Note 3, Chapter 11 Cases, the GenOn Entities have submitted the Plan in connection with the Chapter 11 Cases. There is no assurance that such Plan will be approved by the requisite stakeholders, confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, or successfully implemented thereafter. GenOn's and GenOn Americas Generation’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on many factors, including the successful confirmation of the Plan and emergence from bankruptcy. Given the uncertainty as to the outcome of these factors, there is substantial doubt about GenOn's and GenOn Americas Generation's ability to continue as a going concern.

The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming GenOn will continue as a going concern, which contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. As such, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of assets and their carrying amounts, or the amount and classification of liabilities that may result should GenOn be unable to continue as a going concern. Such adjustments could have a material adverse impact on GenOn's results of operations, cash flows and financial position.
With respect to GenOn Mid-Atlantic, a consolidated subsidiary of GenOn, management has determined that while it has sufficient cash on hand to fund current obligations including operating lease payments due under the GenOn Mid-Atlantic operating leases as of September 30, 2017, the potential significant adverse impact of financial stresses at GenOn Mid-Atlantic's parent companies and any adverse impact resulting from the notification by GenOn Mid-Atlantic's owner lessors alleging the existence of certain lease events of default as further described in Note 8, Debt and Capital Leases, has caused there to be substantial doubt about GenOn Mid-Atlantic's ability to continue as a going concern.
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
This is a combined quarterly report of the Registrants for the quarter ended September 30, 2017. The notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements apply to the Registrants as indicated parenthetically next to each corresponding disclosure. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the SEC's regulations for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The following notes should be read in conjunction with the accounting policies and other disclosures as set forth in the notes to the financial statements in the Registrants' 2016 Form 10-K. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.
In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements contain all material adjustments consisting of normal and recurring accruals necessary to present fairly the Registrants' consolidated financial positions as of September 30, 2017, and the results of operations, comprehensive income/(loss) and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Reclassifications
Reclassifications
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for comparative purposes.  The reclassifications did not affect results from operations, net assets or cash flows. 
Recent Accounting Developments - Guidance Adopted in 2017 and Guidance Not Yet Adopted (GenOn, GenOn Americas Generation, and GenOn Mid-Atlantic)
Recent Accounting Developments — Guidance Adopted in 2017 (GenOn, GenOn Americas Generation, and GenOn Mid-Atlantic)
ASU 2016-18 — In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Restricted Cash, or ASU No. 2016-18. The amendments of ASU No. 2016-18 require an entity to include amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning of period and end of period total amounts on the statement of cash flows. For GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation, this includes amounts classified as funds deposited by counterparties. The amendments of ASU No. 2016-18 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods.  Early adoption is permitted and the adoption of ASU No. 2016-18 will be applied retrospectively. GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation adopted the guidance in ASU No. 2016-18 during the second quarter of 2017. In connection with the adoption of the standard, the Registrants have applied the guidance retrospectively which resulted in a decrease of the cash flows provided by operating activities of $41 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 for GenOn and GenOn Americas Generation. The adoption of ASU No. 2016-18 did not have an impact to GenOn Mid-Atlantic's statement of cash flows.

Recent Accounting Developments — Guidance Not Yet Adopted (GenOn, GenOn Americas Generation, and GenOn Mid-Atlantic)
ASU 2017-12 — In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, or ASU No. 2017-12. The amendments of ASU No. 2017-12 were issued to simplify the application of hedge accounting guidance and more closely align financial reporting for hedging relationships with economic results of an entity's risk management activities. The issues addressed by ASU No. 2017-12 include but are not limited to alignment of risk management activities and financial reporting, risk component hedging, accounting for the hedged item in fair value hedges of interest rate risk, recognition and presentation of the effects of hedging instruments, amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness, and other simplifications of hedge accounting guidance. The amendments of ASU No. 2017-12 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods therein.  Early adoption is permitted in any interim period and the effect of the adoption should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Registrants do not expect the adoption of ASU No. 2017-12 will have a material impact on their consolidated results of operations, cash flows, and statement of financial position.
ASU 2017-07 — In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation — Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, or ASU No. 2017-07.   Current GAAP does not indicate where the amount of net benefit cost should be presented in an entity’s income statement and does not require entities to disclose the amount of net benefit cost that is included in the income statement.  The amendments of ASU No. 2017-07 require an entity to report the service cost component of net benefit costs in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the related employees during the applicable service period.  The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented separately from the service cost component and outside the subtotal of income from operations. Further, ASU No. 2017-07 prescribes that only the service cost component of net benefit costs is eligible for capitalization. The amendments of ASU No. 2017-07 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein.  Early adoption is permitted and must be applied on a retrospective basis, except for the amendments regarding the capitalization of the service cost component, which must be applied prospectively. GenOn is currently assessing the impact that the adoption of ASU No. 2017-07 will have on its results of operations, cash flows, and statement of financial position.
ASU 2016-02 — In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), or Topic 842, with the objective to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and to improve financial reporting by expanding the related disclosures. The guidance in Topic 842 provides that a lessee that may have previously accounted for a lease as an operating lease under current GAAP should recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from a lease on the balance sheet. In addition, Topic 842 expands the required quantitative and qualitative disclosures with regards to lease arrangements. The Registrants expect to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2019 utilizing the required modified retrospective approach for the earliest period presented. The Registrants expect to elect certain of the practical expedients permitted, including the expedient that permits the Registrants to retain its existing lease assessment and classification. The Registrants are currently working through an adoption plan which includes the evaluation of lease contracts compared to the new standard. While the Registrants are currently evaluating the impact the new guidance will have on their financial position and results of operations, the Registrants expect to recognize lease liabilities and right of use assets. The extent of the increase to assets and liabilities associated with these amounts remains to be determined pending the Registrants' review of its existing lease contracts and service contracts which may contain embedded leases. While this review is still in process, the Registrants believe the adoption of Topic 842 will have a material impact on their financial statements.
ASU 2014-09 — In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), or Topic 606, which was further amended through various updates issued by the FASB thereafter. The amendments of Topic 606 completed the joint effort between the FASB and the IASB, to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and IFRS, and to improve financial reporting. The guidance under Topic 606 provides that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for the goods or services provided and establishes a five step model to be applied by an entity in evaluating its contracts with customers. The Registrants expect to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2018 and apply the guidance retrospectively to contracts at the date of adoption. The Registrants will recognize the cumulative effect of applying Topic 606 at the date of initial application, as prescribed under the modified retrospective transition method. The Registrants also expect to elect the practical expedient available under Topic 606 for measuring progress toward complete satisfaction of a performance obligation and for disclosure requirements of remaining performance obligations. The practical expedient allows an entity to recognize revenue in the amount to which the entity has the right to invoice such that the entity has a right to the consideration in an amount that corresponds directly with the value to the customer for performance completed to date by the entity. In 2016, the Registrants continued to assess the new standard with a focus on identifying the performance obligations included within its revenue arrangements with customers and evaluating the Registrants' methods of estimating the amount and timing of variable consideration. While the impact remains subject to continued review, the Registrants do not believe the adoption of Topic 606 will have a material impact on their financial statements.