Income Taxes Income Taxes - MidAmerican Funding - Components of Net Deferred Income Tax Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities		$ 834	$ 812
Derivative contracts		83	62
AROs		317	249
Other		815	781
Total deferred income tax assets, net		3,069	2,849
Property-related items		(13,157)	(11,989)
Regulatory assets		(1,446)	(1,374)
Other		(299)	(301)
Total deferred income tax liabilities		(15,754)	(14,363)
Net deferred income tax liability		(12,685)	(11,514)
Federal, state and foreign carryforwards		865	781
MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities		327	332
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits		66	68
Derivative contracts		29	30
AROs		214	185
Other		68	70
Total deferred income tax assets, net		704	685
Property-related items		(3,326)	(2,950)
Regulatory assets		(418)	(366)
Other		(16)	(25)
Total deferred income tax liabilities		(3,760)	(3,341)
Net deferred income tax liability		(3,056)	$ (2,656)
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	[1]	10,084
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Federal, state and foreign carryforwards		23
Operating Loss Carryforwards		$ 488
Minimum [Member] | MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carry Forwards, Domestic Federal and State, ExpirationDate		2016
Maximum [Member] | MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss and Tax Credit Carry Forwards, Domestic Federal and State, ExpirationDate		2034

[1] The federal net operating loss carry forwards relate principally to net operating loss carry forwards of subsidiaries that are tax residents in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The net operating loss carry forwards were generated prior to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s ownership and will begin to expire in 2022.