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Carrying amount of investments in debt and equity securities categorized as available-for-sale securities, reported at fair value and not expected to be used in operations within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes restricted cash and investments primarily related to (a) funds held in trust for nuclear decommissioning and (b) debt service requirements that are restricted by certain project debt agreements to be used only for the related project. Includes equity method investments. Includes Rabbi trusts that hold corporate-owned life insurance on certain key executives and directors and represents the cash surrender value, net of any amounts borrowed against the cash surrender value.

No definition available.

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The percentage of ownership of nuclear decommissioning trust fund investments owned by investment type.

No definition available.

Name:	bhe_NuclearDecommissioningTrustFundOwnershipPercentage
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The fair value of investments held in a trust fund to pay for the costs of decontaminating and decommissioning facilities, whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure on the balance sheet. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

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This item represents the amount that could be realized under a life insurance contract or contracts owned by the Entity as of the date of the statement of financial position. Such Entity-owned life insurance policies are commonly known as corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) or bank-owned life insurance (BOLI).

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 325
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6384206&loc=d3e41899-111602

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(12))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

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Amount of investments classified as other.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(12))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(f,g))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126734703&loc=d3e572229-122910

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