Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Foreign Earnings Repatriated		$ 250,000,000
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Repatriation of Foreign Earnings, Amount		59,800,000
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Valuation Allowance	114,800,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Investments	672,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, General Business	71,313,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	114,806,000	113,596,000	61,500,000	433,000
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries		68,600,000
Distributions Received From Subsidiary	250,000,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	4,950,000	7,281,000	5,875,000	5,431,000
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decrease Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions	3,677,000		1,375,000
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Credit, Investment, Percent	30.00%
Investment Tax Credit Per Unit (in Dollars per Kilowatt-hour)	2.3
Production Tax Credit Claim Period	10 years
Public Utilities Property Plant and Equipment Useful Life	5 years
Income Tax Benefit From Examination Per Share (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.04	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	35.00%		35.00%
Effective Income Tax Amended Rate Start Date	Dec. 25, 2013
Dividends from Foreign Subsidiaries [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Foreign Earnings Repatriated		177,200,000
Reduction of Tax Basis in Foreign Subsidiary [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Foreign Earnings Repatriated		13,000,000
Placed in Service After January 1, 2014 [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Credit, Investment, Percent	10.00%
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	235,400,000
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	114,800,000	113,600,000
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	218,100,000
Israel [Member] | Investment One [Member] | Ormat Systems Ltd Member
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Income Tax Incentive Period	5 years
Israel [Member] | Investment One [Member] | Ormat Systems Ltd Member | Maximum [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate	25.00%
Israel [Member] | Investment Two [Member] | Ormat Systems Ltd Member
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Period For Tax Exemption	2 years
Israel [Member] | Ormat Systems Ltd Member
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Effective Income Tax Rate Year One and Year Two	15.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Year Five and Thereafter	16.00%
GUATEMALA
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
National Corporate Tax Rate	31.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate	0.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Tax Exempt Income, Amount	$ 1,900,000	$ 4,400,000	$ 4,400,000
ISRAEL
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
National Corporate Tax Rate			24.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	26.50%
KENYA
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
National Corporate Tax Rate	37.50%
NEW ZEALAND
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
National Corporate Tax Rate	28.00%
Investment Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward Expiration Period	20 years
General Business Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
Note 18 - Income Taxes (Details) [Line Items]
Tax Credit Carryforward Expiration Period	20 years