Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member] Preferred Stock [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member] Common Stock [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	PacifiCorp [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]	MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] Preferred Stock [Member]	MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] Common Stock [Member]	MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	MidAmerican Energy Company [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]	MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain] Retained Earnings [Member]	MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain] Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member]	Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Nevada Power Company [Member]	Nevada Power Company [Member] Common Stock [Member]	Nevada Power Company [Member] Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Nevada Power Company [Member] Retained Earnings [Member]	Nevada Power Company [Member] Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance							$ 7,644	$ 41	$ 0	$ 4,479	$ 3,136	$ (12)											$ 1,039	$ 0	$ 1,111	$ (71)	$ (1)	$ 2,922	$ 0	$ 2,308	$ 619	$ (5)
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		75,000,000																						1,000					1,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 15,910	$ 0	$ 5,423	$ 10,782	$ (463)	$ 168							$ 3,635	$ 27	$ 562	$ 3,070	$ (24)	$ 4,351	$ 1,679	$ 2,669	$ (24)	$ 27
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013							7,787	2	0	4,479	3,315	(9)											1,016	$ 0	1,111	(93)	(2)	2,890	$ 0	2,308	586	(4)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	1,660	0	0	1,636	0	24
Net income	1,676												350			350		341		340		1
Net income attributable to BHE shareholders	1,636						682		0	0	682	0						340					55			55		145			145
Other comprehensive income (loss)	366	0	0	0	366	0	3		0	0	0	3	13				13	13			13
Distributions	(22)	0	0	0	0	(22)												(28)
Preferred stock dividends declared							(2)		0	0	(2)	0
Common stock dividends declared							(500)		0	0	(500)	0	(125)			(125)							(77)			(77)		(178)			(178)
Redemption of preferred securities of subsidiaries	(68)	$ 0	0	0	0	(68)																(28)
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Value							(40)	(39)	0	0	(1)	0	(28)
Common stock issuances (shares)		2,000,000
Common stock issuances	1,000	$ 0	1,000	0	0	0
Other equity transactions	(30)	$ 0	(33)	0	0	3																	(1)				(1)	1				1
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2013		77,000,000																						1,000					1,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	18,816	$ 0	6,390	12,418	(97)	105							3,845	0	561	3,295	(11)	4,677	1,679	3,009	(11)	0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance							7,787	2	0	4,479	3,315	(9)											1,016	$ 0	1,111	(93)	(2)	2,890	$ 0	2,308	586	(4)
Balance							7,787	2	0	4,479	3,315	(9)											1,016	0	1,111	(93)	(2)	2,890	0	2,308	586	(4)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	20,442						7,756	2	0	4,479	3,288	(13)	4,250					5,073					998	$ 0	1,111	(111)	(2)	2,888	$ 0	2,308	583	(3)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,112	0	0	2,095	0	17
Net income	2,122												417			417		409		409		0
Net income attributable to BHE shareholders	2,095						698		0	0	698	0						409					87			87		227			227
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(397)	0	0	0	(397)	0	(4)		0	0	0	(4)	(12)				(12)	(12)			(12)
Distributions	(22)	0	0	0	0	(22)
Common stock dividends declared							$ (725)		0	0	(725)	0											$ (105)			(105)		(230)			(230)
Stock Redeemed or Called During Period, Value													(28)	(27)	$ (1)
Other equity transactions	$ 64	$ 0	33	0	0	31												1		1								$ 1				1
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	77,000,000	77,000,000					357,000,000								70,980,203								1,000	1,000				1,000	1,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 20,573	$ 0	6,423	14,513	(494)	131							4,250	0	$ 561	3,712	(23)	5,073	1,679	3,417	(23)	0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance	20,442						$ 7,756	2	0	4,479	3,288	(13)	4,250					5,073					$ 998	$ 0	1,111	(111)	(2)	$ 2,888	$ 0	2,308	583	(3)
Balance	20,442						7,756	2	0	4,479	3,288	(13)	4,250					5,073					998	0	1,111	(111)	(2)	2,888	0	2,308	583	(3)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	22,401						7,503	2	0	4,479	3,033	(11)	4,705					5,525					1,076	$ 0	1,111	(35)	0	3,163	$ 0	2,308	858	(3)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,388	0	0	2,370	0	18
Net income	2,400												462			462		458		458		0
Net income attributable to BHE shareholders	2,370						695		0	0	695	0						458					83			83		288			288
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(414)	0	0	0	(414)	0	2		0	0	0	2	(7)				(7)	(7)			(7)
Distributions	(21)	0	0	0	0	(21)
Common stock dividends declared							$ (950)		0	0	(950)	0											(7)			(7)		$ (13)			(13)
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Effect of Change on Operating Results	67	0	0	56	0	11
Common stock, value, repurchased	(36)	0	(3)	(33)	0	0
Other equity transactions	$ (22)	$ 0	(17)	0	0	(5)												1		1			$ 2				2
Balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	77,000,000	77,000,000					357,000,000								70,980,203								1,000	1,000				1,000	1,000
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 22,535	$ 0	$ 6,403	$ 16,906	$ (908)	$ 134							4,705	$ 0	$ 561	$ 4,174	$ (30)	5,525	$ 1,679	$ 3,876	$ (30)	$ 0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Balance	22,401						$ 7,503	2	0	4,479	3,033	(11)	4,705					5,525					$ 1,076	$ 0	1,111	(35)	0	$ 3,163	$ 0	2,308	858	(3)
Balance	$ 22,401						$ 7,503	$ 2	$ 0	$ 4,479	$ 3,033	$ (11)	$ 4,705					$ 5,525					$ 1,076	$ 0	$ 1,111	$ (35)	$ 0	$ 3,163	$ 0	$ 2,308	$ 858	$ (3)