Subsidiary Debt - BHE Renewables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		$ 49,759
Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		36,108
Other long-term debt		36,319	$ 30,672
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		3,152
Other long-term debt		$ 3,116	3,206
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate		3.21%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate		5.41%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Bishop Hill Holdings Senior Notes, 5.125%, due 2032 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 70
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 69	77
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.125%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Solar Star Funding, LLC Series A Senior Secured Notes, 3.950%, due June 2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 271
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 269	280
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.95%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Solar Star Funding, LLC Series A Senior Secured Notes, 5.375%, due June 2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 861
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 853	886
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.375%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Grande Prairie Wind, Senior Notes, 3.860%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 330
Other long-term debt		$ 327	355
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.86%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Topaz Solar Farms Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2039 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 638
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 631	672
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.75%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Topaz Solar Farms Senior Notes, 4.875%, due 2039
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 182
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 180	193
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.875%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Alamo 6 Senior Notes, 4.170%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 208
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 205	213
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.17%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Other debt obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 9
Other long-term debt	[1]	8	13
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | TX Jumbo Road Term Loan, 3.626% due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	140
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	138	158
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Marshall Wind term loan, variable interest rate, due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	70
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	69	75
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Pinyon Pines I and II Term Loan, due 2034 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	373
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	$ 367	$ 284
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage			3.69%

[1] Amortizes quarterly or semiannually.

[2] The term loans have variable interest rates based on LIBOR plus a margin that varies during the terms of the agreements. The Company has entered into interest rate swaps that fix the interest rate on 100% of the Pinyon Pines, TX Jumbo Road and Marshall Wind outstanding debt. The fixed interest rates as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 ranged from 3.21% to 5.41%. As of December 31, 2019, Pinyon Pines I and II had entered into interest rate swaps that fixed the interest rate on 75% of the Pinyon Pines outstanding debt through December 31, 2019 and 50% of the Pinyon Pines outstanding debt thereafter. The variable interest rate as of December 31, 2019 was 3.69%.