Subsidiary Debt - BHE Renewables (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		$ 35,376
Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		28,780
Other long-term debt		28,641	$ 27,354
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		3,636
Other long-term debt		3,594	3,674
Extinguishment of Debt, Gain (Loss), Net of Tax		$ 15
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate		3.21%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Percentage Bearing Fixed Interest, Percentage Rate		3.63%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | CE Generation Bonds 7.416% due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 0
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 0	$ 67
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.416%	7.416%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Salton Sea Funding Corporation Bonds 7.475% due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 0
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 0	$ 31
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.475%	7.475%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Cordova Funding Corporation Bonds, 8.48% to 9.07%, due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 0
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 0	$ 97
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Cordova Funding Corporation Bonds, 8.48% to 9.07%, due 2019 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.48%	8.48%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Cordova Funding Corporation Bonds, 8.48% to 9.07%, due 2019 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		9.07%	9.07%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Bishop Hill Holdings Senior Notes, 5.125%, due 2032 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 94
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 93	$ 99
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.125%	5.125%
BHE 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]	$ 314
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 310	$ 311
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.95%	3.95%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Solar Star Funding, LLC Series A Senior Secured Notes, 5.375%, due June 2016 through June 2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 975
Other long-term debt	[1]	965	$ 966
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Grande Prairie Wind, Senior Notes, 3.860%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	408
Other long-term debt		$ 404	$ 414
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.375%	5.375%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Topaz Solar Farms Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2039 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 755
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 745	$ 780
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		5.75%	5.75%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Topaz Solar Farms Senior Notes, 4.875%, due 2039
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 219
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 217	$ 229
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.875%	4.875%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Alamo 6, LLC Senior Secured Notes, 4.17%, due March 2018 through March 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		4.17%	4.17%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Alamo 6 Senior Notes, 4.170%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 232
Other long-term debt	[1]	229	$ 0
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Other debt obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	19
Other long-term debt	[1]	19	22
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Pinyon Pines I and II Term Loans, due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	334
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	$ 333	$ 355
Variable interest rate		3.32%	2.62%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.32%	2.62%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Wailuku Special Purpose Revenue Bonds, 0.09% due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1]	$ 0
Other long-term debt	[1]	$ 0	$ 7
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		0.90%	0.90%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | TX Jumbo Road Term Loan, 3.626% due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	$ 198
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	$ 193	$ 206
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.626%	3.626%
BHE Renewables [Member] | Subsidiary Debt [Member] | Marshall Wind term loan, variable interest rate, due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	[1],[2]	$ 88
Other long-term debt	[1],[2]	$ 86	$ 90
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		3.212%	3.212%

[1] (1)Amortizes quarterly or semiannually.

[2] (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 75% of the Pinyon Pines outstanding debt and 100% of the TX Jumbo Road and Marshall Wind outstanding debt. The variable interest rate as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 was 3.32% and 2.62%, respectively, while the fixed interest rates as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 ranged from 3.21% to 3.63%.