Name:	bhe_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentPlantAdjustmentsForIntangibleUtilityPlantsAnnualAmortizationExpenseIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Net, Excluding Construction Work In Progress

No definition available.

Name:	bhe_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantandEquipmentNetExcludingConstructionWorkInProgress
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Public Utilities, Property, Plant and Equipment, Plant in Service, Excluding Construction Work In Progress

No definition available.

Name:	bhe_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantandEquipmentPlantinServiceExcludingConstructionWorkInProgress
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Period end book value of accumulated depreciation on property, plant and equipment (PPE) that is owned by the regulated operations of the public utility.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentAccumulatedDepreciation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Period end amount of property, plant and equipment (PPE) related to regulated assets common to business units.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentCommon
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Useful life of assets common to business units owned by public utility, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentCommonUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Period end amount of construction work in progress in public utility.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentConstructionWorkInProgress
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Period end amount of property, plant and equipment (PPE) related to utility distribution.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentDistribution
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Useful life of utility distribution assets owned by public utility, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentDistributionUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Period end amount of property, plant and equipment (PPE) related to generation or processing owned by public utility.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentGenerationOrProcessing
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Useful life of utility generation assets owned by public utility, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentGenerationUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Period end amount of total net PPE.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Period end book value of other property, plant and equipment (PPE) owned (but not classified elsewhere) by the public utility.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Useful life of other property, plant and equipment (PPE) owned by public utility, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentOtherPropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Period end amount of property, plant and equipment (PPE) related to utility transmission owned by public utility.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentTransmission
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Useful life of utility transmission equipment owned by public utility, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipmentTransmissionUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=bhe_SierraPacificPowerCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilityRegulatedOrUnregulatedStatusAxis=us-gaap_RegulatedOperationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilityAxis=us-gaap_ElectricityGenerationPlantNonNuclearMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilityAxis=us-gaap_NaturalGasProcessingPlantMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: