Contingencies and commitments	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies and commitments	Note 22. Contingencies and commitments We are parties in a variety of legal actions that routinely arise out of the normal course of business, including legal actions seeking to establish liability directly through insurance contracts or indirectly through reinsurance contracts issued by Berkshire subsidiaries. Plaintiffs occasionally seek punitive or exemplary damages. We do not believe that such normal and routine litigation will have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Berkshire and certain of its subsidiaries are also involved in other kinds of legal actions, some of which assert or may assert claims or seek to impose fines and penalties. We believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. In July 2020, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (“BHE”) reached a definitive agreement with Dominion Energy, Inc. (“Dominion”) to acquire substantially all of Dominion’s natural gas transmission and storage business, which includes more than 7,700 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, about 900 billion cubic feet of operated natural gas storage capacity and partial ownership of a liquefied natural gas export, import and storage facility. The agreement provided for an aggregate acquisition price of approximately $4.0 billion and that BHE would also assume approximately $5.7 billion of existing asset-related long-term debt. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued) Note 22. Contingencies and commitments (Continued) On October 5, 2020, BHE and Dominion agreed, as permitted under the acquisition agreement, to provide for the acquisition of all originally agreed upon businesses, except for certain pipeline assets (the “Excluded Assets”), for approximately $2.7 billion in cash and BHE’s assumption of approximately $5.3 billion of debt. This acquisition was completed on November 1, 2020. In addition, on October 5, 2020, BHE and Dominion entered into a second acquisition agreement providing for BHE’s acquisition of the Excluded Assets for approximately $1.3 billion in cash and BHE’s assumption of approximately $0.4 billion of debt. The closing of this acquisition is subject to receiving necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in early 2021.

Contingencies and commitments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Note 22. Contingencies and commitments

We are parties in a variety of legal actions that routinely arise out of the normal course of business, including legal actions seeking to establish liability directly through insurance contracts or indirectly through reinsurance contracts issued by Berkshire subsidiaries. Plaintiffs occasionally seek punitive or exemplary damages. We do not believe that such normal and routine litigation will have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Berkshire and certain of its subsidiaries are also involved in other kinds of legal actions, some of which assert or may assert claims or seek to impose fines and penalties. We believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

In July 2020, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (“BHE”) reached a definitive agreement with Dominion Energy, Inc. (“Dominion”) to acquire substantially all of Dominion’s natural gas transmission and storage business, which includes more than 7,700 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, about 900 billion cubic feet of operated natural gas storage capacity and partial ownership of a liquefied natural gas export, import and storage facility. The agreement provided for an aggregate acquisition price of approximately $4.0 billion and that BHE would also assume approximately $5.7 billion of existing asset-related long-term debt.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Note 22. Contingencies and commitments (Continued)

On October 5, 2020, BHE and Dominion agreed, as permitted under the acquisition agreement, to provide for the acquisition of all originally agreed upon businesses, except for certain pipeline assets (the “Excluded Assets”), for approximately $2.7 billion in cash and BHE’s assumption of approximately $5.3 billion of debt. This acquisition was completed on November 1, 2020. In addition, on October 5, 2020, BHE and Dominion entered into a second acquisition agreement providing for BHE’s acquisition of the Excluded Assets for approximately $1.3 billion in cash and BHE’s assumption of approximately $0.4 billion of debt. The closing of this acquisition is subject to receiving necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in early 2021.