Finance Obligations - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Finance Obligations
Current portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	$ 83,129	$ 84,031
Noncurrent portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	264,318	284,363
Gain or loss on sale leaseback transactions	0
Sale of Future Revenue - Debt
Finance Obligations
Finance obligation under sale-leaseback transaction	276,700	350,800
Current portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	77,500	74,000
Noncurrent portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	199,200	276,800
Interest on lease liabilities, finance lease	36,700	39,600	$ 29,700
Sale/Leaseback Financings
Finance Obligations
Finance obligation under sale-leaseback transaction	70,700	17,600
Current portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	5,600	10,000
Noncurrent portion of finance obligation in sale-leaseback transaction	65,100	$ 7,600
Finance obligation, residual value	37,700
failed sale/leaseback transactions
Finance Obligations
Additions finance obligations	$ 60,300

Residual value of finance obligation.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_FinanceObligationResidualValue
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of noncurrent portion of finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmount
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of current portion of finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmountCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of noncurrent portion of finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionFinanceObligationAmountNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the amount of additions to finance obligation in connection with the transactions involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_FinancingTransactionsFinanceObligationAdditions
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest expense on finance lease liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479589/842-20-55-53

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479041/842-20-45-4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478964/842-20-50-4

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale and leaseback transaction from transfer of asset accounted for as sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479589/842-20-55-53

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (f)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478964/842-20-50-4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479741/842-40-50-2

+ Details

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

- 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

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147481295/840-40-50-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 40
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479741/842-40-50-2

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=plug_SaleAndLeaseBackTransactionSaleOfFutureRevenueDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=plug_SaleAndLeaseBackFinancingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDescriptionAxis=plug_FailedSaleAndLeaseBackTransactionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: