OPC TRANSACTION	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
OPC TRANSACTION	NOTE 8 — OPC TRANSACTION In June 2007, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary Ormat Nevada Inc. (“Ormat Nevada”) entered into agreements with affiliates of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated (Morgan Stanley Geothermal LLC) and Lehman Brothers Inc. (Lehman-OPC LLC (“Lehman-OPC”)), under which those investors purchased, for cash, interests in a newly formed subsidiary of Ormat Nevada, OPC LLC (“OPC”), entitling the investors to certain tax benefits (such as production tax credits and accelerated depreciation) and distributable cash associated with four geothermal power plants. The first closing under the agreements occurred in 2007 and covered the Company’s Desert Peak 2, Steamboat Hills, and Galena 2 power plants. The investors paid $71.8 million at the first closing. The second closing under the agreements occurred in 2008 and covered the Galena 3 power plant. The investors paid $63.0 million at the second closing. Ormat Nevada continues to operate and maintain the power plants. Under the agreements, Ormat Nevada initially received all of the distributable cash flow generated by the power plants, while the investors received substantially all of the production tax credits (“PTC”) and taxable income or loss (together, the “Economic Benefits”). Once it recovered the capital that it has invested in the power plants, which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2010, the investors receive both the distributable cash flow and the Economic Benefits. The investors’ return is limited by the term of the transaction. Once the investors reach a target after-tax yield on their investment in OPC (the “Flip Date”), Ormat Nevada will receive 95% of both distributable cash and taxable income, on a going forward basis. Following the Flip Date, Ormat Nevada also has the option to buy out the investors’ remaining interest in OPC at the then-current fair market value or, if greater, the investors’ capital account balances in OPC. Should Ormat Nevada exercise this purchase option, it would thereupon revert to being sole owner of the power plants. The Class B membership units are provided with a 5% residual economic interest in OPC. The 5% residual interest commences on achievement by the investors of a contractually stipulated return that triggers the Flip Date. The actual Flip Date is not known with certainty and is determined by the operating results of OPC. This residual 5% interest represents a noncontrolling interest and is not subject to mandatory redemption or guaranteed payments. Cash is distributed each period in accordance with the cash allocation percentages stipulated in the agreements. Until the fourth quarter of 2010, Ormat Nevada was allocated the cash earnings in OPC and therefore, the amount allocated to the 5% residual interest represented the noncash loss of OPC which principally represented depreciation on the property, plant and equipment. As from the fourth quarter of 2010, the distributable cash is allocated to the Class B membership units. The Company’s voting rights in OPC are based on a capital structure that is comprised of Class A and Class B membership units. The Company owns, through its subsidiary, Ormat Nevada, all of the Class A membership units, which represent 75% of the voting rights in OPC. The investors own all of the Class B membership units, which represent 25% of the voting rights of OPC. Other than in respect of customary protective rights, all operational decisions in OPC are decided by the vote of a majority of the membership units. Following the Flip Date, Ormat Nevada’s voting rights will increase to 95% and the investors’ voting rights will decrease to 5%. Ormat Nevada retains the controlling voting interest in OPC both before and after the Flip Date and therefore continues to consolidate OPC. On October 30, 2009, Ormat Nevada acquired from Lehman-OPC all of the Class B membership units of OPC held by Lehman-OPC pursuant to a right of first offer for a price of $18.5 million. A substantial portion of the initial sale of the Class B membership units by Ormat Nevada was accounted for as a financing transaction. As a result, the repurchase of these interests atv a discount resulted in a pre-tax gain of $13.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2009. In addition, an amount of approximately $1.1 million has been reclassified from noncontrolling interest to additional paid-in capital representing the 1.5% residual interest of Lehman-OPC’s Class B membership units. On February 3, 2011, Ormat Nevada sold to JPM Capital Corporation (“JPM”) all of the Class B membership units of OPC that it had acquired on October 30, 2009 for a sale price of $24.9 million in cash. The Company did not record any gain from the sale of its Class B membership interests in OPC to JPM. A substantial portion of the Class B membership units are accounted for as a financing transaction. As a result, the majority of these proceeds were recorded as a liability. In addition, $2.3 million has been reclassified from additional paid-in capital to noncontrolling interest representing the 1.5% residual interest of JPM’s Class B membership units.

NOTE 8 — OPC TRANSACTION

In June 2007, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary Ormat Nevada Inc. (“Ormat Nevada”) entered into agreements with affiliates of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated (Morgan Stanley Geothermal LLC) and Lehman Brothers Inc. (Lehman-OPC LLC (“Lehman-OPC”)), under which those investors purchased, for cash, interests in a newly formed subsidiary of Ormat Nevada, OPC LLC (“OPC”), entitling the investors to certain tax benefits (such as production tax credits and accelerated depreciation) and distributable cash associated with four geothermal power plants.

The first closing under the agreements occurred in 2007 and covered the Company’s Desert Peak 2, Steamboat Hills, and Galena 2 power plants. The investors paid $71.8 million at the first closing. The second closing under the agreements occurred in 2008 and covered the Galena 3 power plant. The investors paid $63.0 million at the second closing.

Ormat Nevada continues to operate and maintain the power plants. Under the agreements, Ormat Nevada initially received all of the distributable cash flow generated by the power plants, while the investors received substantially all of the production tax credits (“PTC”) and taxable income or loss (together, the “Economic Benefits”). Once it recovered the capital that it has invested in the power plants, which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2010, the investors receive both the distributable cash flow and the Economic Benefits. The investors’ return is limited by the term of the transaction. Once the investors reach a target after-tax yield on their investment in OPC (the “Flip Date”), Ormat Nevada will receive 95% of both distributable cash and taxable income, on a going forward basis. Following the Flip Date, Ormat Nevada also has the option to buy out the investors’ remaining interest in OPC at the then-current fair market value or, if greater, the investors’ capital account balances in OPC. Should Ormat Nevada exercise this purchase option, it would thereupon revert to being sole owner of the power plants.

The Class B membership units are provided with a 5% residual economic interest in OPC. The 5% residual interest commences on achievement by the investors of a contractually stipulated return that triggers the Flip Date. The actual Flip Date is not known with certainty and is determined by the operating results of OPC. This residual 5% interest represents a noncontrolling interest and is not subject to mandatory redemption or guaranteed payments. Cash is distributed each period in accordance with the cash allocation percentages stipulated in the agreements. Until the fourth quarter of 2010, Ormat Nevada was allocated the cash earnings in OPC and therefore, the amount allocated to the 5% residual interest represented the noncash loss of OPC which principally represented depreciation on the property, plant and equipment. As from the fourth quarter of 2010, the distributable cash is allocated to the Class B membership units.

The Company’s voting rights in OPC are based on a capital structure that is comprised of Class A and Class B membership units. The Company owns, through its subsidiary, Ormat Nevada, all of the Class A membership units, which represent 75% of the voting rights in OPC. The investors own all of the Class B membership units, which represent 25% of the voting rights of OPC. Other than in respect of customary protective rights, all operational decisions in OPC are decided by the vote of a majority of the membership units. Following the Flip Date, Ormat Nevada’s voting rights will increase to 95% and the investors’ voting rights will decrease to 5%. Ormat Nevada retains the controlling voting interest in OPC both before and after the Flip Date and therefore continues to consolidate OPC.

On October 30, 2009, Ormat Nevada acquired from Lehman-OPC all of the Class B membership units of OPC held by Lehman-OPC pursuant to a right of first offer for a price of $18.5 million. A substantial portion of the initial sale of the Class B membership units by Ormat Nevada was accounted for as a financing transaction. As a result, the repurchase of these interests atv a discount resulted in a pre-tax gain of $13.3 million in the year ended December 31, 2009. In addition, an amount of approximately $1.1 million has been reclassified from noncontrolling interest to additional paid-in capital representing the 1.5% residual interest of Lehman-OPC’s Class B membership units.

On February 3, 2011, Ormat Nevada sold to JPM Capital Corporation (“JPM”) all of the Class B membership units of OPC that it had acquired on October 30, 2009 for a sale price of $24.9 million in cash. The Company did not record any gain from the sale of its Class B membership interests in OPC to JPM. A substantial portion of the Class B membership units are accounted for as a financing transaction. As a result, the majority of these proceeds were recorded as a liability. In addition, $2.3 million has been reclassified from additional paid-in capital to noncontrolling interest representing the 1.5% residual interest of JPM’s Class B membership units.