Short-Term Debt and Credit Facilities Short-Term Debt and Credit Facilities - Credit Facilities (Details) £ in Millions, $ in Millions, $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2018 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2018 CAD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	[1]	$ 9,114				$ 9,051
Short-term debt	[1]	2,516				4,488
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported	[1]	543				594
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	[1]	6,055				3,969
BHE Renewables [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		103				118
HomeServices [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Short-term debt		404				292
Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		115				96
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		3,500	[2]			3,600
Short-term debt		983				3,331
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		0				7
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		2,517				262
PacifiCorp [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		1,200	[2]			1,000
Short-term debt		30				80	$ 270	$ 20	$ 20
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		89				130
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		1,081				790
MidAmerican Funding [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		1,309	[2]			909
Short-term debt		240				0
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		370				370
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		699				539
NV Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		650	[2]			650
Short-term debt		0				0
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		80				80
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		570				570
Northern Powergrid Holdings [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		231	[2]			203
Short-term debt		77				0
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		0				0
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		154				203
AltaLink [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		639	[2]			1,054
Short-term debt		345				345
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		4				7
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		290				702
Other [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		1,585	[2]			1,635
Short-term debt		841				732
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		0				0
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		744				903
Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		250				250
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		80				80
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity		170				170
Tax exempt bond obligations and commodity contract collateral requirement [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		184				230
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		170				$ 216
Certain transactions required by third parties [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported		$ 14
Line of Credit [Member] | AltaLink Investments, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.8		0.8	0.8
EBITDA to interest expense ratio		2.25		2.25	2.25
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		3.25%		3.25%	3.25%	2.40%
Short-term debt		$ 64				$ 224
Line of Credit [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.70		0.70	0.70
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		2.76%		2.76%	2.76%	1.74%
Line of Credit [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.65		0.65	0.65
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		2.85%		2.85%	2.85%	1.83%
Line of Credit [Member] | MidAmerican Funding [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.65		0.65	0.65
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		2.49%		2.49%	2.49%
Line of Credit [Member] | AltaLink, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.75		0.75	0.75
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		2.26%		2.26%	2.26%	1.42%
Short-term debt		$ 281				$ 121
Letter of Credit [Member] | AltaLink Investments, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					$ 10
Letter of Credit [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Amounts Supported						7
Unsecured credit facility, £150 million, expiring April 2020 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) plc [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to regulated asset value		0.65		0.65	0.65
Unsecured credit facility, £150 million, expiring April 2020 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Northern Powergrid Holdings [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity | £				£ 150
Debt to regulated asset value		0.8		0.8	0.8
Interest Coverage Ratio		2.5		2.5	2.5
Unsecured credit facility, £150 million, expiring April 2020 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Northern Powergrid (Northeast) Limited [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to regulated asset value		0.65		0.65	0.65
Letter of credit and reimbursement facility, Topaz [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | BHE Renewables [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		$ 127				75
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		134				134
Letter of credit and reimbursement facility, Solar Star [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | BHE Renewables [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount		92				282
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		105				$ 301
Unsecured credit facility, $600 million, expiring June 2021, increased and extended [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		600
Unsecured credit facility, $3.5 billion, expiring June 2021 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		3,500
Secured credit facility, C$500 million, expiring December 2023 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | AltaLink, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					$ 500
Secured credit facility, C$75 million, expiring December 2023 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | AltaLink, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					75
Unsecured credit facility, C$300 million, expiring December 2023 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | AltaLink Investments, L.P. [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity					$ 300
Unsecured credit facility, $600 million, expiring September 2022 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | HomeServices [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 600
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		3.94%		3.94%	3.94%	2.75%
Unsecured credit facility, $985 million, expiring January 2019 to December 2019 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | HomeServices [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 985
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		4.42%		4.42%	4.42%
Short-term debt		$ 436
Unsecured credit facility, $1 billion, expiring January 2018 to December 2018 [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | HomeServices [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity						$ 1,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate						3.60%
Short-term debt						$ 440
Line of Credit [Member] | Secured credit facility, $250 million, expiring June 2021 [Member] | Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt to capitalization ratio		0.65		0.65	0.65
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 250

[1] (1)The table does not include unused credit facilities and letters of credit for investments that are accounted for under the equity method.

[2] (2) Includes the drawn uncommitted credit facilities totaling $39 million at Northern Powergrid.