Subsidiary Debt - BHE Pipeline Group (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	$ 36,295
Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	27,476
Other long-term debt	27,354	$ 27,214
BHE Pipeline Group [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	995
Other long-term debt	990	1,040
Northern Natural Gas [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	800
Other long-term debt	795	795
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	248
Kern River [Member] \| Subsidiary Debt [Member] \| Senior Notes, 4.893%, due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Par value	195
Other long-term debt	$ 195	$ 245
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, 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	$ 35	$ 33

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=64930739&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=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

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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 FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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