Note 23 - Quarterly FInancial Information (Unaudited) (Details) - Quarterly Financial Information (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended							12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2013 Revised [Member] Discontinued Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Revised [Member] Discontinued Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Revised [Member] Discontinued Operations [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Revised [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Revised [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Revised [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Discontinued Operations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Discontinued Operations [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Discontinued Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Discontinued Operations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Discontinued Operations [Member]
Revenues:
Electricity	$ 84,742	$ 88,994	$ 87,713		$ 77,612	$ 81,882	$ 82,247	$ 329,747		$ 312,296				$ 68,298	$ 76,057	$ 314,894
Product	46,163	41,755	64,966		54,685	44,826	50,105	203,492		113,160				50,608	37,263	186,879
Total revenues	130,905	130,749	152,679		132,297	126,708	132,352	533,239	501,773	425,456				118,906	113,320	501,773
Cost of revenues:
Electricity	57,789	61,356	58,641		59,924	56,565	57,931	232,874		235,609				55,088	64,630	237,415
Product	30,212	29,637	43,657		42,130	31,818	34,627	140,547		76,072				37,041	26,771	135,346
Total cost of revenues	88,001	90,993	102,298		102,054	88,383	92,558	373,421		311,681				92,129	91,401	372,761
Gross margin	42,904	39,756	50,381		30,243	38,325	39,794	159,818		113,775				26,777	21,919	129,012
Operating expenses:
Research and development expenses	1,519	838	1,608		1,436	1,464	1,048	4,965		8,801				1,000	2,160	6,108
Selling and marketing expenses	6,752	2,575	3,777		3,346	4,570	4,922	24,613		16,053				11,509	2,966	15,718
General and administrative expenses	8,924	6,546	7,134		6,132	6,757	7,314	29,188		27,366				6,584	7,903	28,066
Impairment charges					7,264				236,377						229,113	236,377
Write-off of unsuccessful exploration activities	4,094					1,151	768	4,094	2,639						720	2,639
Operating income (loss)	21,615	29,797	37,862		12,065	24,383	25,742	96,958	(159,896)	61,555				7,684	(220,943)	(159,896)
Other income (expense):
Interest income	462	742	87		280	336	388	1,332	1,201	1,427				41	197	1,201
Interest expense, net	(21,950)	(18,459)	(17,504)		(15,400)	(14,263)	(14,878)	(73,776)	(64,069)	(69,459)				(15,863)	(19,528)	(64,069)
Foreign currency translation and transaction gains (losses)	1,241	1,258	904		615	(1,756)	14	5,085	242	(1,350)				1,682	1,369	242
Income attributable to sale of tax benefits	5,603	5,027	5,783		2,311	2,589	2,517	19,945	10,127	11,474				3,532	2,710	10,127
Other non-operating income (expense), net	9	137	29		215	286	(161)	1,592	590	671				1,417	246	590
Income (loss), before income taxes and equity in income (losses) of investees	6,980	18,502	27,161		86	11,575	13,622	51,136	(211,805)	4,318				(1,507)	(235,949)	(211,805)
Income tax benefit (provision)	1,476	(5,201)	(5,780)	(4,269)	(1,088)	(3,884)	(5,457)	13,552	(3,091)	48,240	(251)	(167)	1,264	(4,047)	8,321	1,827	(363)	(391)	(425)	614	295
Equity in income (losses) of investees	(101)	(158)	9		(1,245)	(157)	(140)	(250)		(959)					(980)	(2,522)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	8,355	13,143	21,390	(4,949)	(2,247)	7,534	8,025	37,334	(212,607)	(44,881)				(5,554)	(228,608)	(216,154)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations including gain on disposal of ($0, $0, $0, $0, $0, $3,646, $0, and $0, respectively)			4,480		2,123	1,613		5,311		2,452				831	(64)	4,811
Total income from discontinued operations			4,117		1,732	1,188		4,697		2,157				580	(231)	3,547
Net income (loss)	8,355	13,143	25,507	(4,949)	(515)	8,722	8,025	42,031	(212,607)	(42,724)				(4,974)	(228,839)	(212,607)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(193)	(193)	(322)		(67)	(81)	(130)	(793)		(332)				(85)	(136)	(414)
Net income (loss) attributable to the Company's stockholders	$ 8,162	$ 12,950	$ 25,185	$ (5,034)	$ (582)	$ 8,641	$ 7,895	$ 41,238	$ (213,021)	$ (43,056)				$ (5,059)	$ (228,975)	$ (213,021)
Basic:
Income (loss) from continuing operations (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.29	$ 0.46		$ (0.05)	$ 0.16	$ 0.17	$ 0.81		$ (1.00)				$ (0.12)	$ (5.03)	$ (4.77)
Discontinued operations (in Dollars per share)			$ 0.09		$ 0.04	$ 0.03		$ 0.10		$ 0.05				$ 0.01	$ (0.01)	$ 0.08
Net income (loss) (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.29	$ 0.55		$ (0.01)	$ 0.19	$ 0.17	$ 0.91		$ (0.95)				$ (0.11)	$ (5.04)	$ (4.69)
Diluted:
Income (loss) from continuing operations (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.28	$ 0.46		$ (0.05)	$ 0.16	$ 0.17	$ 0.81		$ (1.00)				$ (0.12)	$ (5.03)	$ (4.77)
Discontinued operations (in Dollars per share)			$ 0.09		$ 0.04	$ 0.03		$ 0.10		$ 0.05				$ 0.01	$ (0.01)	$ 0.08
Net income (loss) (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.18	$ 0.28	$ 0.55		$ (0.01)	$ 0.19	$ 0.17	$ 0.91		$ (0.95)				$ (0.11)	$ (5.04)	$ (4.69)
Weighted average number of shares used in computation of earnings (loss) per share attributable to the Company's stockholders:
Basic (in Shares)	45,461	45,438	45,431		45,431	45,431	45,431	45,440	45,431	45,431				45,431	45,431	45,431
Diluted (in Shares)	45,610	45,494	45,448		45,431	45,438	45,437	45,475	45,431	45,431				45,431	45,431	45,431