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Contingencies and commitments - Narrative (Detail) |  |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Feb. 13, 2024 Plaintiff | Feb. 01, 2024 USD ($) | Oct. 31, 2023 USD ($) Cases | Jul. 29, 2022 a Structure People | Jan. 31, 2024 USD ($) Plaintiff People | Sep. 30, 2023 Trial ClassMember | Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($) Wildfire Plaintiff | Sep. 30, 2020 a Structure | Jun. 30, 2023 People | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase commitments - 2024 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 10,000,000,000 |
Purchase commitments - 2025 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,000,000,000 |
Purchase commitments - 2026 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000,000 |
Purchase commitments - 2027 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000,000 |
Purchase commitments - 2028 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000,000 |
Multnomah County Circuit Court Oregon [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, accrual interest rate |  |  |  |  | 9.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of subsidiary ownership |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 92.00% |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of jury verdicts | People |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated pre-tax probable loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,400,000,000 |
Loss contingency, pre tax probable loss before insurance recoveries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,900,000,000 | $ 225,000,000
Loss contingency, probable losses net of expected insurance recoveries |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,700,000,000 | 64,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Legal settlements amount paid |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 631,000,000 | $ 53,000,000
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17 |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, sought amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8,000,000,000 |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 90,000,000 |  |  |  |
Number of structures destroyed | Structure |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000 |  |  |
Number of jury verdicts | People |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.25 |  |
Number of wildfires associated to complaints | Wildfire |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff |  |  |  |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  | $ 62,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Multiplier used to determine economic and non-economic damages |  |  |  |  | 0.25 |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2022 Wildfire [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a |  |  |  | 60,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of structures destroyed | Structure |  |  |  | 185 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of structures damaged | Structure |  |  |  | 11 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of injuries in wildfire | People |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of fatalities in wildfire | People |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Multnomah County Circuit Court Oregon 10 Class Members [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, number of trials | Trial |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Multnomah County Circuit Court Oregon [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, number of trials | Trial |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency number of class members | ClassMember |  |  |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Multnomah County Circuit Court Oregon [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff |  |  |  |  | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Economic Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  | $ 12,000,000 |  |  | $ 6,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Economic and Property Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,000,000 |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  |  |  | 68,000,000 |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Non-Economic Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  | $ 56,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 18,000,000 |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Punitive Damages [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  | $ 16,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | Cross-appeal to January 2024 Limited Judgment and Money Award [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of named plaintiffs | Plaintiff | 17 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, sought amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9,000,000,000 |
Number of cases | Cases |  |  | 11 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] | Inestimable Loss [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases | Cases |  |  | 10 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] | Trial Commenced [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, awarded value |  |  | $ 1,800,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases | Cases |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Minimum [Member] | PacifiCorp [Member] | 2020 Wildfires [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of acres aggregate of wildfire | a |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 500,000 |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company [Member] | Maximum [Member] | HomeServices of America [Member] | Antitrust Cases [Member] | Trial Commenced [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated pre-tax probable loss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5,400,000,000 |

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