BHE Shareholders' Equity (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

BHE Shareholders' Equity [Text Block]

BHE Shareholders' Equity

Common Stock

On March 14, 2000, and as amended on December 7, 2005, BHE's shareholders entered into a Shareholder Agreement that provides specific rights to certain shareholders. One of these rights allows certain shareholders the ability to put their common shares to BHE at the then-current fair value dependent on certain circumstances controlled by BHE.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, BHE issued $100 million of its 5.00% junior subordinated debentures due June 2057 in exchange for 181,819 shares of its common stock.

Restricted Net Assets

BHE has maximum debt-to-total capitalization percentage restrictions imposed by its senior unsecured credit facilities expiring in June 2022 which, in certain circumstances, limit BHE's ability to make cash dividends or distributions. As a result of this restriction, BHE has restricted net assets of $18.1 billion as of December 31, 2019.

Certain of BHE's subsidiaries have restrictions on their ability to dividend, loan or advance funds to BHE due to specific legal or regulatory restrictions, including, but not limited to, maximum debt-to-total capitalization percentages and commitments made to state commissions. As a result of these restrictions, BHE's subsidiaries had restricted net assets of $17.5 billion as of December 31, 2019.