| Schedule I - Condensed Financial Information of Registrant (Tables)
 | 12 Months Ended | 
| Dec. 31, 2017 | 
|---|
| Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  | 
| Schedule of Debt Instruments | 
As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, our debt consisted of the following (in millions): 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   |   | December 31, |  
|   |   | 2017 |   | 2016 |  
| Long-term debt: |   |   |   |   |  
| SPL |   |   |   | 
 | 
 |  
| 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2021 (“2021 SPL Senior Notes”), net of unamortized premium of $6 and $7 |   | $ | 2,006 | 
 |   | $ | 2,007 | 
 |  
| 6.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (“2022 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 1,000 | 
 |   | 1,000 | 
 |  
| 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (“2023 SPL Senior Notes”), net of unamortized premium of $5 and $6 |   | 1,505 | 
 |   | 1,506 | 
 |  
| 5.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (“2024 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 2,000 | 
 |   | 2,000 | 
 |  
| 5.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (“2025 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 2,000 | 
 |   | 2,000 | 
 |  
| 5.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 (“2026 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 1,500 | 
 |   | 1,500 | 
 |  
| 5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (“2027 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 1,500 | 
 |   | 1,500 | 
 |  
| 4.200% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (“2028 SPL Senior Notes”), net of unamortized discount of $1 and zero |   | 1,349 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| 5.00% Senior Secured Notes due 2037 (“2037 SPL Senior Notes”) |   | 800 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| 2015 SPL Credit Facilities |   | — | 
 |   | 314 | 
 |  
| Cheniere Partners |   |   |   |   |  
| 5.250% Senior Notes due 2025 (“2025 CQP Senior Notes”) |   | 1,500 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| 2016 CQP Credit Facilities |   | 1,090 | 
 |   | 2,560 | 
 |  
| CCH |   |   |   |   |  
| 7.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2024 (“2024 CCH Senior Notes”) |   | 1,250 | 
 |   | 1,250 | 
 |  
| 5.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2025 (“2025 CCH Senior Notes”) |   | 1,500 | 
 |   | 1,500 | 
 |  
| 5.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (“2027 CCH Senior Notes”) |   | 1,500 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| 2015 CCH Credit Facility |   | 2,485 | 
 |   | 2,381 | 
 |  
| CCH HoldCo II |   |   |   |   |  
| 11.0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2025 (“2025 CCH HoldCo II Convertible Senior Notes”) |   | 1,305 | 
 |   | 1,171 | 
 |  
| Cheniere |   |   |   |   |  
| 4.875% Convertible Unsecured Notes due 2021 (“2021 Cheniere Convertible Unsecured Notes”), net of unamortized discount of $121 and $146 |   | 1,040 | 
 |   | 960 | 
 |  
| 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2045 (“2045 Cheniere Convertible Senior Notes”), net of unamortized discount of $314 and $317 |   | 311 | 
 |   | 308 | 
 |  
| $750 million Cheniere Revolving Credit Facility (“Cheniere Revolving Credit Facility”)  |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Unamortized debt issuance costs |   | (305 | ) |   | (269 | ) |  
| Total long-term debt, net |   | 25,336 | 
 |   | 21,688 | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |   |  
| Current debt: |   |   |   |   |  
| $1.2 billion SPL Working Capital Facility (“SPL Working Capital Facility”) |   | — | 
 |   | 224 | 
 |  
| $350 million CCH Working Capital Facility (“CCH Working Capital Facility”) |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Cheniere Marketing trade finance facilities |   | — | 
 |   | 23 | 
 |  
| Total current debt |   | — | 
 |   | 247 | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |   |  
| Total debt, net |   | $ | 25,336 | 
 |   | $ | 21,935 | 
 | 
 
 | 
| Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt | 
Below is a schedule of future principal payments that we are obligated to make, based on current construction schedules, on our outstanding debt at December 31, 2017 (in millions): 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  
| Years Ending December 31, |   | Principal Payments |  
| 2018 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| 2019 |   | 55 | 
 |  
| 2020 |   | 1,035 | 
 |  
| 2021 |   | 3,161 | 
 |  
| 2022 |   | 3,485 | 
 |  
| Thereafter |   | 18,330 | 
 |  
| Total |   | $ | 26,066 | 
 |  
Below is a schedule of future principal payments that we are obligated to make, based on current construction schedules, on our outstanding debt at December 31, 2017 (in millions): 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  
| Years Ending December 31, |   | Principal Payments |  
| 2018 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| 2019 |   | 55 | 
 |  
| 2020 |   | 1,035 | 
 |  
| 2021 |   | 3,161 | 
 |  
| 2022 |   | 3,485 | 
 |  
| Thereafter |   | 18,330 | 
 |  
| Total |   | $ | 26,066 | 
 |  | 
| Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures | 
The following table provides supplemental disclosure of cash flow information (in millions):  
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   |   | Year Ended December 31, |  
|   |   | 2017 |   | 2016 |   | 2015 |  
| Cash paid during the period for interest, net of amounts capitalized |   | $ | 305 | 
 |   | $ | 66 | 
 |   | $ | 123 | 
 |  
| Contribution of assets to equity method investee |   | 14 | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Non-cash conveyance of assets |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | 13 | 
 |  | 
| Parent Company [Member] |  | 
| Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items] |  | 
| Condensed Balance Sheets | 
CHENIERE ENERGY, INC. 
 CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS 
(in millions) 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | December 31, |  
|   | 2017 |   | 2016 |  
| ASSETS |   | 
 |   |   |  
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | — | 
 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| Non-current restricted cash | — | 
 |   | 7 | 
 |  
| Property, plant and equipment, net | 15 | 
 |   | 15 | 
 |  
| Debt issuance and deferred financing costs, net | 12 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Investments in affiliates | (435 | ) |   | (145 | ) |  
| Total assets | $ | (408 | ) |   | $ | (123 | ) |  
|   |   |   |   |  
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |   |   |   |  
| Current liabilities 
 | $ | 8 | 
 |   | $ | 8 | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |  
| Long-term debt, net | 1,348 | 
 |   | 1,265 | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |  
| Stockholders’ deficit | (1,764 | ) |   | (1,396 | ) |  
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit | $ | (408 | ) |   | $ | (123 | ) |  | 
| Condensed Statements of Operations | 
CHENIERE ENERGY, INC. 
 CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS 
(in millions) 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | Year Ended December 31, |  
|   | 2017 |   | 2016 |   | 2015 |  
| General and administrative expense | $ | 7 | 
 |   | $ | 6 | 
 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Other income (expense) |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Interest expense, net | (118 | ) |   | (104 | ) |   | (93 | ) |  
| Interest expense, net—affiliates | — | 
 |   | (7 | ) |   | (9 | ) |  
| Interest income—affiliates | — | 
 |   | 24 | 
 |   | 34 | 
 |  
| Equity loss of affiliates | (268 | ) |   | (517 | ) |   | (907 | ) |  
| Total other expense | (386 | ) |   | (604 | ) |   | (975 | ) |  
|   |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Net loss attributable to common stockholders | $ | (393 | ) |   | $ | (610 | ) |   | $ | (975 | ) |  | 
| Condensed Statements of Cash Flows | 
CHENIERE ENERGY, INC. CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS 
(in millions) 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | Year Ended December 31, |  
|   | 2017 |   | 2016 |   | 2015 |  
| Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (4 | ) |   | $ | (102 | ) |   | $ | (176 | ) |  
|   |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Cash flows from investing activities |   | 
 |   |   | 
 |   |   | 
 |  
| Investments in affiliates | 209 | 
 |   | 202 | 
 |   | (181 | ) |  
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 209 | 
 | 
 | 202 | 
 | 
 | (181 | ) |  
|   |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Cash flows from financing activities |   | 
 |   |   | 
 |   |   | 
 |  
| Proceeds from issuance of debt | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | 500 | 
 |  
| Debt issuance and deferred financing costs | (15 | ) |   | — | 
 |   | (4 | ) |  
| Distribution and dividends to non-controlling interest | (185 | ) |   | (80 | ) |   | (80 | ) |  
| Proceeds from exercise of stock options | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | 2 | 
 |  
| Payments related to tax withholdings for share-based compensation | (12 | ) |   | (20 | ) |   | (61 | ) |  
| Other | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |   | 1 | 
 |  
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | (212 | ) |   | (100 | ) |   | 358 | 
 |  
|   |   |   |   |   |   |  
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | (7 | ) |   | — | 
 |   | 1 | 
 |  
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period | 7 | 
 |   | 7 | 
 |   | 6 | 
 |  
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period | $ | — | 
 |   | $ | 7 | 
 |   | $ | 7 | 
 | 
 
 Balances per Condensed Balance Sheets: 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   | December 31 |  
|   | 2017 |   | 2016 |  
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | — | 
 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| Non-current restricted cash | — | 
 |   | 7 | 
 |  
| Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | — | 
 |   | $ | 7 | 
 |  | 
| Schedule of Debt Instruments | 
As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, our debt consisted of the following (in millions): 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   |   | December 31, |  
|   |   | 2017 |   | 2016 |  
| Long-term debt: |   |   |   |   |  
| 4.875% Convertible Unsecured Notes due 2021, net of unamortized discount of $121 and $146 |   | $ | 1,040 | 
 |   | $ | 960 | 
 |  
| 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2045, net of unamortized discount of $314 and $317 |   | 311 | 
 |   | 308 | 
 |  
| $750 million Cheniere Revolving Credit Facility |   | — | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Unamortized debt issuance costs |   | (3 | ) |   | (3 | ) |  
| Total long-term debt, net |   | $ | 1,348 | 
 | 
 | $ | 1,265 | 
 |  | 
| Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt | 
Below is a schedule of future principal payments that we are obligated to make on our outstanding debt at December 31, 2017 (in millions): 
 
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  
| Years Ending December 31, |   | Principal Payments |  
| 2018 |   | $ | — | 
 |  
| 2019 |   | — | 
 |  
| 2020 |   | — | 
 |  
| 2021 |   | 1,161 | 
 |  
| 2022 |   | — | 
 |  
| Thereafter |   | 625 | 
 |  
| Total |   | $ | 1,786 | 
 |  | 
| Schedule of Cash Flow, Supplemental Disclosures | 
The following table provides supplemental disclosure of cash flow information (in millions):  
|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|   |   | Year Ended December 31, |  
|   |   | 2017 |   | 2016 |   | 2015 |  
| Non-cash capital contributions (1) |   | $ | (268 | ) |   | $ | (517 | ) |   | $ | (907 | ) |  
| Non-cash capital contribution from subsidiaries for forgiveness of debt |   | — | 
 |   | 151 | 
 |   | — | 
 |  
| Non-cash capital distribution to subsidiaries for forgiveness of debt |   | — | 
 |   | (868 | ) |   | — | 
 |  
| Issuance of stock to acquire additional interest in Cheniere Holdings |   | 2 | 
 |   | 94 | 
 |   | — | 
 | 
|  |  |  
| (1) | Amounts represent equity losses of affiliates. |  |