Income taxes - Income tax expense (benefit) reconciliation (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Income tax expense reconciliation
Earnings (loss) before income taxes		$ (30,576)	$ 111,686	$ 55,693
Hypothetical income tax expense (benefit) at the U.S. federal statutory rate		(6,421)	23,454	11,696
Dividends received deduction and tax-exempt interest		(512)	(457)	(448)
State income taxes, less U.S. federal income tax effect		602	(417)	858
U.S. income tax credits	[1]	(2,187)	(1,860)	(1,519)
Goodwill impairments				1,977
Other differences, net			159	(124)
Total income taxes		$ (8,518)	$ 20,879	$ 12,440
Effective income tax rate		27.90%	18.70%	22.30%

[1] U.S. income tax credits derive primarily from production tax credits associated with wind-energy generation of BHE and tax credits arising from affordable housing investments.