Asset Retirement Obligations - MEC - Change in Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 753	$ 696
Asset Retirement Obligation, Revision of Estimate	104	3
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Incurred	59	15
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Settled	32	8
Asset Retirement Obligation, Accretion Expense	37	35
Asset Retirement Obligation, Current	92	66
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent	829	687
Ending Balance	921	753
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	460	430
Asset Retirement Obligation, Revision of Estimate	36	(2)
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Incurred	22	11
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Settled	9	0
Asset Retirement Obligation, Accretion Expense	23	21
Asset Retirement Obligation, Current	44	28
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent	488	432
Ending Balance	$ 532	$ 460

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Asset Retirement Obligation
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505190

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- Definition

Amount of accretion expense recognized during the period that is associated with an asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense measures and incorporates changes due to the passage of time into the carrying amount of the liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392676&loc=d3e7480-110848

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- Definition

Current portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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Amount of asset retirement obligations incurred during the period.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of asset retirement obligations settled, or otherwise disposed of, during the period. This may include asset retirement obligations transferred to third parties associated with the sale of a long-lived asset.

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- Definition

Amount of the Increase or Decrease in the amount of the asset retirement obligation during the current period for changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Noncurrent portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

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