Note 6 - Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping [Table Text Block]

				December 31, 2013
				Fair Value
	Carrying Value at December 31, 2013			Total			Level 1		Level 2			Level 3
				(Dollars in thousands)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash equivalents (including restricted cash accounts)	$	40,015		$	40,015		$	40,015	$	-		$	-
Derivatives:
Currency forward contracts(4)		2,290			2,290			-		2,290			-
Liabilities
Current liabilities:
Derivatives:
Swap transaction on oil price(2)		(2,490	)		(2,490	)		-		(2,490	)		-
Swap transaction on natural gas price(3)		(341	)		(341	)		-		(341	)		-
	$	39,474		$	39,474		$	40,015	$	(541	)	$	-

			December 31, 2012
			Fair Value
	Carrying Value at December 31, 2012		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
			(Dollars in thousands)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash equivalents (including restricted cash accounts)	$	54,298	$	54,298	$	54,298	$	-	$	-
Derivatives:
Put options on oil price(1)		1,842		1,842		-		1,842		-
Swap transaction on oil price(2)		336		336		-		336		-
Swap transaction on natural gas price(3)		2,804		2,804		-		2,804		-
Currency forward contracts(4)		1,675		1,675		-		1,675		-
	$	60,955	$	60,955	$	54,298	$	6,657	$	-

Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Table Text Block]

Derivatives not designated		Amount of recognized gain (loss)
as hedging instruments	Location of recognized gain (loss)	2013			2012			2011
		(Dollars in thousands)
Put options on oil price	Electricity revenues	$	(1,330	)	$	(807	)	$	-
Put options on natural gas price	Electricity revenues		-			(1,342	)		-
Swap transaction on oil price	Electricity revenues		(635	)		1,598			-
Swap transactions on natural gas price	Electricity revenues		(3,052	)		2,804			-
Currency forward contracts	Foreign currency translation and transaction gains		5,912			463			-
		$	895		$	2,716		$	-

Schedule of Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Values of Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]

	Fair Value				Carrying Amount
	December 31,				December 31,
	2013		2012		2013		2012
	(Dollars in millions)				(Dollars in millions)
Olkaria III Loan - DEG	$	40.3	$	48.8	$	39.5	$	47.4
Olkaria III Loan - OPIC		279.6		220.0		299.9		220.0
Amatitlan Loan		34.8		38.9		31.5		34.3
Senior Secured Notes:
Ormat Funding LLC ("OFC")		83.5		105.0		90.8		114.1
OrCal Geothermal LLC ("OrCal")		65.8		77.3		66.2		76.5
OFC 2 LLC ("OFC 2")		119.0		131.2		144.4		150.5
Senior Unsecured Bonds		270.6		273.2		250.6		250.9
Loan from institutional investors	20.1			27.7		19.5		27.0

Fair Value, Measurement Inputs, Disclosure [Text Block]

	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(Dollars in millions)
Olkaria III - DEG	$	—	$	—	$	40.3	$	40.3
Olkaria III - OPIC		—		—		279.6		279.6
Amatitlan loan		—		—		34.8		34.8
Senior Secured Notes:
OFC		—		83.5		—		83.5
OrCal		—		—		65.8		65.8
OFC 2		—		—		119.0		119.0
Senior unsecured bonds		—		—		270.6		270.6
Loan from institutional investors		—		—		20.1		20.1
Other long-term debt		—		23.3		—		23.3
Revolving credit lines with banks		—		112.0		—		112.0
Deposits		21.3		—		—		21.3

	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(Dollars in millions)
Olkaria III Loan - DEG	$	—	$	—	$	48.8	$	48.8
Olkaria III Loan - OPIC		—		—		220.0		220.0
Amatitlan Loan		—		—		38.9		38.9
Senior Secured Notes:
OFC		—		105.0		—		105.0
OrCal		—		—		77.3		77.3
OFC 2		—		—		131.2		131.2
Senior unsecured bonds		—		—		273.2		273.2
Loan from institutional investors		—		—		27.7		27.7
Other long-term debt		—		36.7		—		36.7
Revolving lines of credit		—		73.6		—		73.6
Deposits		21.7		—		—		21.7

Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Table Text Block]

	Valuation Technique	Amount or Range			Weighted Average
Generation output (MWh)	DCF		224,836		224,836
Average realized price ($/MWh)	DCF	$84.50	—	$111.25	$92.31
Operating costs	DCF	$12,687	—	$20,430	$16,163

	Valuation Technique	Amount or Range			Weighted Average
Generation output (MWh)	DCF	11,916	—	15,456	15,097
Average realized price ($/MWh)	DCF	$49.00	—	$71.50	$60.36
Operating costs	DCF	$86	—	$595	$400