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Contingencies (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
agreement
Guarantees Letters Of Credit [Abstract]  
Lower limit of expiration dates of guarantees (less than one year) 1 year
Upper limit of expiration dates of guarantees (more than 20 years) 20 years
Obligations made by the Parent Company associated with non-recourse debt $ 24aes_ContingentContractualObligationsAssociatedWithNonrecourseDebt
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Amount 552aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
Number of Agreements 31aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
Parent Company  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Letter Of Credit Fee Range Minimum 0.20%aes_LetterOfCreditFeeRangeMinimum
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Letter Of Credit Fee Range Maximum 2.50%aes_LetterOfCreditFeeRangeMaximum
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Guarantees and commitments  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Amount 390aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteesMember
Number of Agreements 16aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteesMember
Maximum Exposure Range, Lower Limit 1aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeLowerLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteesMember
Maximum exposure range, upper limit 53aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeUpperLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteesMember
Asset sale related indemnities  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Amount 27aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_AssetSaleRelatedIndemnitiesMember
Number of Agreements 1aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_AssetSaleRelatedIndemnitiesMember
Maximum exposure range, upper limit 27aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeUpperLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_AssetSaleRelatedIndemnitiesMember
Cash collateralized letters of credit  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Amount 74aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
Number of Agreements 9aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
Maximum Exposure Range, Lower Limit 1aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeLowerLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
Maximum exposure range, upper limit 47aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeUpperLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
Cash collateralized letters of credit | Parent Company  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Amount 74aes_ObligationsMaximumExposureTotal
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= aes_CashCollateralizedLettersOfCreditMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Letters of credit under the senior secured credit facility  
Contingent Contractual Obligations [Line Items]  
Number of Agreements 5aes_ObligationsNumberOfAgreements
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Letters of credit outstanding 61us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Maximum Exposure Range, Lower Limit 1aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeLowerLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Maximum exposure range, upper limit $ 29aes_GuarantorObligationsMaximumExposureRangeUpperLimit
/ aes_ContingentContractualObligationsByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember