The percentage of common equity to total capitalization computed on a basis with its commitment to regulators.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the minimum common equity to total capitalization percentage allowed under acquisition commitment without prior regulatory approval, unless there are circumstances beyond the entity’s control.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

In the event there are circumstances beyond the entity’s control, represents the minimum common equity to total capitalization percentage allowed under acquisition commitment without prior regulatory approval.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Represents the amount of eligible property that was subject to lien of mortgage (based on original cost).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Discount rate applied to vendor financing.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of dividends that can be declared or paid without affecting the banking or savings institution's regulatory capital position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ References

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

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ References

+ Details

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- 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

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of the original debt instrument that was repurchased.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The interest rate applicable to the portion of the carrying amount of long-term borrowings outstanding as of the balance sheet date, including current maturities, which accrues interest at a rate subject to change from time to time.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Subsidiary Debt Subsidiary Debt - MEC (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 38,133
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	4,302
Other long-term debt	4,271		$ 4,034
Eligible Property Subject To Lien Of Mortgages	13,000
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 2.40%, Due March 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	500
Other long-term debt	$ 499		$ 498
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	2.40%		2.40%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 3.70%, Due September 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 250
Other long-term debt	$ 248		$ 248
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.70%		3.70%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 3.50%, Due October 2024 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 500
Other long-term debt	$ 502		$ 296
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	3.50%		3.50%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 4.80%, Due September 2043 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 350
Other long-term debt	$ 345		$ 345
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.80%		4.80%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 4.40%, Due October 2044 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 400
Other long-term debt	$ 394		$ 394
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.40%		4.40%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC First Mortgage Bonds, 4.25%, Due May 2046 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 450
Other long-term debt	$ 444		$ 0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.25%		4.25%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Notes, 5.95% Series, due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 250
Other long-term debt	$ 250		$ 250
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.95%		5.95%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Notes, 5.3% Series, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 350
Other long-term debt	$ 349		$ 349
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.30%		5.30%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Notes, 6.75% Series, due 2031 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 400
Other long-term debt	$ 395		$ 395
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.75%		6.75%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Notes, 5.75% Series, due 2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 300
Other long-term debt	$ 298		$ 298
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.75%		5.75%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Notes, 5.8% Series, due 2036 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 350
Other long-term debt	$ 347		$ 347
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.80%		5.80%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Turbine Purchase Obligation, 1.43%, Due December 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 0
Other long-term debt	0		$ 420
Vendor Financing, Discount Rate Applied			1.43%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MEC Transmission Upgrade Obligation, 4.449%, Due Through 2035 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	5
Other long-term debt	$ 4		$ 0
Vendor Financing, Discount Rate Applied	4.45%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable Rate Tax Exempt Obligation Series Due 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 34
Other long-term debt	33		33
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable Rate Tax Exempt Obligation Series Due 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	4
Other long-term debt	4		4
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable Rate Tax Exempt Obligation Series due 2023, issued 1993 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	7
Other long-term debt	7		7
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable Rate Tax Exempt Obligation Series Due 2023, issued in 2008 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	57
Other long-term debt	57		57
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable-rate tax-exempt obligation series due 2024 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	35
Other long-term debt	35		35
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable-rate tax-exempt obligation series, due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	13
Other long-term debt	13		13
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Variable-rate tax-exempt obligation series, due 2038 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	45
Other long-term debt	45		45
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Capital Lease Obligations, 4.16%, Due Through 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	2
Other long-term debt	$ 2		$ 0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.16%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Tax-exempt bond obligations, variable rate, due 2016-2038 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Variable interest rate	0.03%		0.07%
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| First Mortgage Bonds Issued October 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value		$ 650
MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] \| Turbine Purchase Obligation, 1.43%, Due December 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Repurchased Face Amount	$ 426
Committed Common Equity Percentage To Regulators [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common equity to total capitalization percentage	42.00%
Committed Common Equity Percentage To Regulators Beyond Companies Control [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common equity to total capitalization percentage below which reasonable efforts to maintain agreed to percentage is not required	39.00%
Dividend Restriction For Common Equity Commitment [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount Available for Dividend Distribution without Affecting Capital Adequacy Requirements	$ 1,600
Common Equity Level To Total Capitalization [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Common Equity Level To Total Capitalization	52.00%