Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (LLC) (MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain])

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

MidAmerican Funding, LLC and Subsidiaries [Domain]

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements [Line Items]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

In addition to the following significant accounting policies, refer to Note 2 of MidAmerican Energy's Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for significant accounting policies of MidAmerican Funding.

Basis ofConsolidation and Presentation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of MidAmerican Funding and its subsidiaries in which it held a controlling financial interest as of the financial statement date. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated, other than those between rate-regulated operations.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired when MidAmerican Funding purchased MHC. MidAmerican Funding evaluates goodwill for impairment at least annually and completed its annual review as of October 31. Evaluating goodwill for impairment involves a two-step process. The first step is to estimate the fair value of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit, including goodwill, exceeds the estimated fair value, a second step is performed. Under the second step, the identifiable assets, including identifiable intangible assets, and liabilities of the reporting unit are estimated at fair value as of the current testing date. The excess of the estimated fair value of the reporting unit over the current estimated fair value of net assets establishes the implied value of goodwill. The excess of the recorded goodwill over the implied goodwill value is charged to earnings as an impairment loss. A significant amount of judgment is required in estimating the fair value of the reporting unit and performing goodwill impairment tests. MidAmerican Funding uses a variety of methods to estimate a reporting unit's fair value, principally discounted projected future net cash flows. Key assumptions used include, but are not limited to, the use of estimated future cash flows; multiples of earnings; and an appropriate discount rate. In estimating future cash flows, MidAmerican Funding incorporates current market information, as well as historical factors. As such, the determination of fair value incorporates significant unobservable inputs. During 2011, 2010 and 2009, MidAmerican Funding did not record any goodwill impairments.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-08, which amends FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 350, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other.” The amendments in this guidance provide an entity the option to assess qualitatively whether it is necessary to perform the current two-step goodwill impairment test. An entity would be required to perform step one if it determines qualitatively that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Otherwise, no further testing would be required. This guidance is effective for interim and annual goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, and is not expected to have an impact on MidAmerican Funding's Consolidated Financial Statements.