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Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Sep. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Sep. 29, 2014
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Prior Year Income Taxes, Percent 20.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes          
Effective tax rate 21.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 33.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 298.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations    
Scheduled maximum income tax percentage under APS tax system 25.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentageunderAPStaxsystem       25.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentageunderAPStaxsystem  
Scheduled maximum income tax percent under PIS tax system 27.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentunderPIStaxsystem       27.00%aes_ScheduledmaximumincometaxpercentunderPIStaxsystem  
Tax Adjustments, Settlements, and Unusual Provisions $ 46,000,000us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions          
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance   (93,000,000)us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount 195,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount      
Valuation allowance   997,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 1,090,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance      
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates   38,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates 70,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates 81,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates    
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates per share (in dollars per share)   $ 0.04aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare $ 0.09aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare $ 0.10aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare    
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued:            
Interest on income taxes accrued   14,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued 12,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesAccrued      
Income tax penalties accrued   1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued 1,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAccrued      
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense:            
Interest on income taxes expense   (3,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense 4,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense (3,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsInterestOnIncomeTaxesExpense    
Income tax penalties expense   0us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense 3,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense (1,000,000)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesExpense    
Uncertain Tax Positions Additional Disclosures:            
Unrecognized tax benefits   395,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 392,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 475,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits   464,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate   366,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 360,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 444,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate    
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate portion with attributes warranting full valuation allowance   24,000,000aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance 26,000,000aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance 45,000,000aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRatePortionWithAttributesWarrantingFullValuationAllowance    
Unrecognized tax benefits anticipated to result in net decrease of unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months, minimum   10,000,000aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAnticipatedToResultInNetDecreaseOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsWithin12MonthsOfBalanceSheetDateMinimum        
Unrecognized tax benefits anticipated to result in net decrease of unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months, maximum   15,000,000aes_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsAnticipatedToResultInNetDecreaseOfUnrecognizedTaxBenefitsWithin12MonthsOfBalanceSheetDateMaximum        
Federal            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Operating loss carryforwards   3,400,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
       
Operating loss carryforwards amount related to stock option deductions to be recognized in APIC   87,000,000aes_OperatingLossCarryforwardsAmountRelatedToStockOptionDeductionsToBeRecognizedInApic
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
       
State and Local Jurisdiction            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Operating loss carryforwards   7,800,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
       
Foreign Tax Authority            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Operating loss carryforwards   3,700,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
       
Philippines            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates   21,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
41,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
60,000,000aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRates
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
   
Tax benefits related to tax status of operations in countries subject to reduced tax rates per share (in dollars per share)   $ 0.02aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
$ 0.05aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
$ 0.07aes_TaxBenefitsRelatedToTaxStatusOfOperationsInCountriesSubjectToReducedTaxRatesPerShare
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= country_PH
   
General Business Tax Credit Carryforward            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax credit carryforward   18,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_GeneralBusinessMember
       
Federal Alternative Minimum Tax            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax credit carryforward   5,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= aes_FederalAlternativeMinimumTaxMember
       
Foreign Jurisdictions            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax credit carryforward   34,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= aes_ForeignJurisdictionsMember
       
Year 2018 to 2025 | Foreign Jurisdictions            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax credit carryforward   26,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= aes_ForeignJurisdictionsMember
/ aes_TaxCreditExpirationAxis
= aes_Year2017to2024Member
       
No Expiration            
Income Tax Disclosures [Line Items]            
Tax credit carryforward   $ 8,000,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ aes_TaxCreditExpirationAxis
= aes_NoExpirationMember