Income Taxes Income Taxes - MidAmerican Funding - Components of Net Deferred Income Tax Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities		$ 909	$ 834
Derivative contracts		29	83
AROs		326	317
Other		707	815
Total deferred income tax assets, net		3,103	3,069
Property-related items		(14,237)	(13,157)
Regulatory assets		(1,449)	(1,446)
Other		(334)	(299)
Total deferred income tax liabilities		(16,982)	(15,754)
Net deferred income tax liability		(13,879)	(12,685)
Federal, state and foreign carryforwards		987	865
MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Regulatory liabilities		333	327
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits		66	66
AROs		230	214
Other		82	97
Total deferred income tax assets, net		711	704
Property-related items		(3,767)	(3,326)
Regulatory assets		(471)	(418)
Other		(41)	(16)
Total deferred income tax liabilities		(4,279)	(3,760)
Net deferred income tax liability		(3,568)	$ (3,056)
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	[1]	11,549
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Line Items]
Federal, state and foreign carryforwards		25
Operating Loss Carryforwards		$ 549
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		2017
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		2035

[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 federal net operating loss carry forwards were generated prior to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s ownership and will begin to expire in 2023.