Subsidiary Debt - BHE Pipeline Group (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 35,376
Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	28,780
Other long-term debt	28,641	$ 27,354
BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	800
Other long-term debt	796	990
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	800
Other long-term debt	796	795
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	200
Other long-term debt	200	199
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.25%, due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	200
Other long-term debt	199	199
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 5.8%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	150
Other long-term debt	149	149
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 4.1%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	250
Other long-term debt	248	248
Kern River [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Kern River Senior Notes, 4.893%, Due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	0
Other long-term debt	$ 0	$ 195
Kern River [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Kern River Senior Notes, 4.893%, Due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.89%
Extinguishment of Debt, Gain (Loss), Net of Tax	$ 5
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%	5.75%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.25%, due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.25%	4.25%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 5.8%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.80%	5.80%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 4.1%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.10%	4.10%

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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The difference between the reacquisition price and the net carrying amount of the extinguished debt recognized currently as a component of income in the period of extinguishment, net of tax.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 40
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Amount of long-term debt classified as other.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
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