Asset Retirement Obligations - MEC - Change in Asset Retirement Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$ 985	$ 954
Asset Retirement Obligation, Revision of Estimate	257	10
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Incurred	43	28
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Settled	(61)	(45)
Asset Retirement Obligation, Accretion Expense	48	38
Asset Retirement Obligation, Current	167	43
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent	1,105	942
Ending Balance	1,272	985
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	562	559
Asset Retirement Obligation, Revision of Estimate	234	(10)
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Incurred	27	17
Asset Retirement Obligation, Liabilities Settled	(14)	(28)
Asset Retirement Obligation, Accretion Expense	30	24
Asset Retirement Obligation, Current	135	10
Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent	704	552
Ending Balance	839	562
Fossil Fuel Plant [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	371
Ending Balance	623	371
Fossil Fuel Plant [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligation, Roll Forward Analysis [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	93
Asset Retirement Obligation, Revision of Estimate	237
Ending Balance	$ 325	$ 93

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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- 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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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.

+ References

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- Definition

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.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the asset retirement obligation from changes in the amount or timing of the estimated cash flows associated with the settlement of the obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 35
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392603&loc=d3e7123-110846

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

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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.

+ References

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.

+ References

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