Subsidiary Debt - BHE Pipeline Group (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 38,133
Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	27,314
Other long-term debt	27,214	$ 26,848
BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	1,045
Other long-term debt	1,040	1,358
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	800
Other long-term debt	795	894
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.125%, due 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	0
Other long-term debt	0	100
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	200
Other long-term debt	199	199
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.25%, due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	200
Other long-term debt	199	199
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 5.8%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	150
Other long-term debt	149	149
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 4.1%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	250
Other long-term debt	248	247
Kern River [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	245
Other long-term debt	245	464
Kern River [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.676%, due 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	0
Other long-term debt	0	165
Kern River [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.893%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	245
Other long-term debt	$ 245	$ 299
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.125%, due 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	0.00%	5.125%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 5.75%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%	5.75%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.25%, due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.25%	4.25%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 5.8%, due 2037 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.80%	5.80%
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Bonds, 4.1%, due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.10%	4.10%
Kern River [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 6.676%, due 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	0.00%	6.676%
Kern River [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.893%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.893%	4.893%
Kern River [Member] \| Letter of Credit [Member] \| BHE Pipeline Group [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	$ 33	$ 55

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

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

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Including both current and noncurrent portions, carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of other forms of debt not elsewhere specified in the taxonomy with initial maturities beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=bhe_SubsidiaryDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=bhe_MidamericanEnergyPipelineGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorNotes5125Due2015Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorNotes575Due2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorNotes425Due2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorBonds58Due2037Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorBonds41Due2042Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorNotes6676Due2016Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=bhe_SeniorNotes4893Due2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bhe_LongTermDebtIssuerAxis=bhe_NorthernNaturalGasMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bhe_LongTermDebtIssuerAxis=bhe_KernRiverMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: