ON Line Financing Lease Obligation

No definition available.

Name:	bhe_ONLineFinancingLeaseObligation
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Remaining Share Transmission Line Project

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bhe_RemainingShareTransmissionLineProject
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bhe_UtilitiesAggregateShareTransmissionLineProject
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest paid on finance lease liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (g)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918686-209980

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918643-209977

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseInterestPaymentOnLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow for principal payment on finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918643-209977

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (g)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918686-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeasePrincipalPayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of lessee's finance lease, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918673-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeFinanceLeaseTermOfContract1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
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_LesseeLeaseDescriptionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow from operating lease, excluding payments to bring another asset to condition and location necessary for its intended use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888419&loc=SL77918643-209977

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-Publisher FASB
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918686-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasePayments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for finance lease liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
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-Section 55
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888399&loc=SL77918982-209971

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-Subparagraph (g)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888426&loc=SL77918686-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RightOfUseAssetObtainedInExchangeForFinanceLeaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RegulatoryAgencyAxis=bhe_PublicUtilitiesCommissionNevadaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesRegulatoryProceedingAxis=bhe_ONLineReallocatonMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementScenarioAxis=srt_ScenarioForecastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_JointlyOwnedUtilityPlantAxis=bhe_ONLineTransmissionLineMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=bhe_NevadaPowerCompanyMember
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Leases Leases - NPC - Other (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Payments		$ 153
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability		42
Finance Lease, Principal Payments		19
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability		14
Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Payments		3
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability		3
Finance Lease, Principal Payments		3
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability		$ 5
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project		5.00%
Remaining Share Transmission Line Project		75.00%
Lessee, Finance Lease, Term of Contract		41 years
ON Line Financing Lease Obligation		$ 35	$ 21
Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] \| Public Utilities Commission, Nevada [Member] \| ON Line Reallocaton [Member] \| Forecast [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project	25.00%
Sierra Pacific Power Company [Member] \| ON Line deferrals
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project		25.00%
Nevada Power Company [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating Lease, Payments		$ 3
Finance Lease, Interest Payment on Liability		37
Finance Lease, Principal Payments		14
Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability		$ 9
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project		95.00%
Remaining Share Transmission Line Project		75.00%
Lessee, Finance Lease, Term of Contract		41 years
ON Line Financing Lease Obligation		$ 385	$ 395
Nevada Power Company [Member] \| Public Utilities Commission, Nevada [Member] \| ON Line Reallocaton [Member] \| Forecast [Member]
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project	75.00%
Nevada Power Company [Member] \| ON Line deferrals
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Utilities Aggregate Share Transmission Line Project		25.00%