Name:	bhe_LineOfCreditFacilityAmountsSupported
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Fair value amount of debt instrument that was repurchased.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentRepurchaseAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=bhe_PacificorpMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_PACFirstMortgageBonds3.50Due2029Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_PACFirstMortgageBonds5.50Due2019Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_PACFirstMortgageBonds4.15Due2050Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: