Commitments and Contingencies - Commitments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Equity Method Investments	$ 4,053	$ 3,947
Property, plant and equipment, net	72,664	$ 73,305
PacifiCorp [Member] \| Klamath Hydroelectric System [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Dam removal cost limit	200
PacifiCorp [Member] \| Klamath Hydroelectric System [Member] \| CALIFORNIA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Dam removal cost limit	16
Additional dam removal costs, California bond measure	250
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
ContractualObligationFiscalYearMaturityScheduleTable [Line Items]
Purchase Obligation	269
Maintenance, service and other contracts [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
ContractualObligationFiscalYearMaturityScheduleTable [Line Items]
Purchase Obligation	$ 72
Counterparty Bankruptcy [Member] \| Topaz [Member]
ContractualObligationFiscalYearMaturityScheduleTable [Line Items]
Entity Legal Form	1
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Revenue, Performance Obligation, Description of Payment Terms	1
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 1,000
Non-Recourse Debt	$ 800
Counterparty Bankruptcy [Member] \| Agua Caliente [Member]
ContractualObligationFiscalYearMaturityScheduleTable [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	49.00%
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Revenue, Performance Obligation, Description of Payment Terms	1
Equity Method Investments	$ 76
Non-Recourse Debt	700
Easements [Member] \| MidAmerican Energy Company [Member]
ContractualObligationFiscalYearMaturityScheduleTable [Line Items]
Purchase Obligation	$ 95

The additional amount for dam removal costs expected to be raised through a California bond measure.

No definition available.

Name:	bhe_AdditionalDamRemovalCostsCaliforniaBondMeasure
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

[Line Items] for Disclosure of the aggregate amount of payments due on known contractual obligations for the five years following the date of the latest balance sheet and the combined aggregate amount of maturities of known contractual obligations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bhe_ContractualobligationfiscalyearmaturityscheduletableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum amount of dam removal costs.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bhe_DamRemovalCostLimit
Namespace Prefix:	bhe_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The details of the entity's legal form. Examples are partnership, limited liability company, trust, etc.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	dei_EntityLegalForm
Namespace Prefix:	dei_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109237563&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8813-108599

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of debt for which creditor does not have general recourse to the debtor but rather has recourse only to the property used for collateral in the transaction or other specific property.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(14))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(8))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119400593&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(13))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Minimum amount of purchase arrangement in which the entity has agreed to expend funds to procure goods or services from a supplier.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Description of payment terms in contract with customer. Includes, but is not limited to, timing of payment, existence of financing component, variability of consideration and constraint on variable consideration.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130554-203045

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	bhe_HydroelectricSystemNameAxis=bhe_KlamathHydroelectricSystemMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bhe_CostRecoveredFromCustomersByStateAxis=stpr_CA
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis=us-gaap_CapitalAdditionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis=bhe_MaintenanceserviceandothercontractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=bhe_CounterpartyBankruptcyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis=bhe_EasementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: