Note 12 - Long-term Debt, Credit Agreements and Finance Liability - Long-term Debt (Details) $ in Thousands, ₪ in Billions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Nov. 28, 2022 USD ($)	Apr. 12, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2020 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2020 ILS (₪)	Apr. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 25, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 22, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Aug. 23, 2012 USD ($)
Financing liability	[1]	$ 242,029			$ 252,864
Less current portion	[1]	(16,270)			(10,835)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	225,759			242,029
Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		119,400
Amount Issued		189,100
Amount Outstanding		119,400
Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	596,201			612,657
Less current portion	[1]	(64,044)			(61,695)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	532,157			550,962
Amount Outstanding	[1]	596,201			612,657
Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	780,966			1,058,134
Less current portion	[1]	(101,460)			(313,846)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	679,506			744,288
Amount Outstanding	[1]	780,966			1,058,134
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		138,700
Amount Issued		310,000										$ 310,000
Amount Outstanding		138,700
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche One [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		37,800
Amount Issued		85,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 37,800
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.34%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche Two [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 79,400
Amount Issued		180,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 79,400
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.29%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche Three [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 21,500
Amount Issued		45,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 21,500
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.12%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 138,663			156,657
Amount Outstanding	[1]	138,663			156,657
Mizrahi Loan Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		70,300
Amount Issued		75,000		$ 75,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 70,300
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	4.10%
Hapoalim Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 98,200
Amount Issued		125,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 98,200
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.45%
HSBC Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 42,900
Amount Issued		50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 42,900
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.45%
Discount Loan Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 87,500
Amount Issued		100,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 87,500
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	2.90%
Senior Unsecured Bonds, Series 4 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 255,800
Amount Issued		289,800				$ 289,800	₪ 1
Amount Outstanding		$ 255,800
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.35%
Senior Unsecured Loan (Migdal) [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 87,400
Amount Issued		100,000								$ 100,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 87,400
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	4.80%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Senior Unsecured Loan (Migdal) [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 174,800			191,600
Amount Outstanding	[1]	174,800			191,600
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 2 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		27,500
Amount Issued		50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 27,500
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	6.28%
Maturity Date		Jun. 30, 2028
Platanares Finance Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 79,900
Amount Issued		114,700
Amount Outstanding		$ 79,900
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	7.02%
Maturity Date		Sep. 30, 2032
Platanares Finance Agreement [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 79,880			88,073
Amount Outstanding	[1]	79,880			88,073
Loan Agreement with Banco Industrial S.A. and Westrust Bank (International) Limited1 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		15,800
Amount Issued		42,000									$ 42,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 15,800
Maturity Date		Jun. 30, 2027
Loan Agreement with Banco Industrial S.A. and Westrust Bank (International) Limited1 [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Annual Interest Rate, Variable	[2]	4.35%
Plumstriker Loan Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 11,400
Amount Issued		23,500
Amount Outstanding		$ 11,400
Maturity Date		May 31, 2026
Plumstriker Loan Agreement [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]
Annual Interest Rate, Variable	[2]	3.50%
Plumstriker Loan Agreement [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 11,392			14,726
Amount Outstanding	[1]	11,392			14,726
Don A. Campbell 1 ("DAC1") [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		62,700
Amount Issued		92,500
Amount Outstanding		$ 62,700
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	4.03%
Maturity Date		Sep. 30, 2033
Don A. Campbell 1 ("DAC1") [Member] | Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 62,698			67,939
Amount Outstanding	[1]	62,698			67,939
Ormat Funding Corp [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		158,100
Amount Issued		291,700
Amount Outstanding		158,100
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Series A Senior Notes [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		71,800
Amount Issued		151,700
Amount Outstanding		$ 71,800
Annual Interest Rate	[5]	4.69%
Maturity Date		Dec. 31, 2032
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Series C Senior Notes [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 86,300
Amount Issued		140,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 86,300
Annual Interest Rate	[5]	4.61%
Maturity Date		Dec. 31, 2032
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 158,036			173,321
Amount Outstanding	[1]	158,036			173,321
Idaho Refinancing Note [Member]
Amount Issued			$ 61,600
Annual Interest Rate			6.26%
Idaho Refinancing Note [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		61,600
Amount Issued		61,600
Amount Outstanding		$ 61,600
Annual Interest Rate	[6]	6.26%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2038
Finance Liability [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 242,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 242,000
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	2.55%
Additional Migdal Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 43,700
Amount Issued		50,000							$ 50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 43,700
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	4.60%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 3 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 24,000
Amount Issued		41,500
Amount Outstanding		$ 24,000
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	6.04%
Maturity Date		Jun. 30, 2028
DOE Loan Guarantee [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 32,800
Amount Issued		96,800
Amount Outstanding		$ 32,800
Annual Interest Rate	[6]	2.60%
Maturity Date		Feb. 28, 2035
Loan Agreement with Banco Industrial S.A. and Westrust Bank (International) Limited [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 15,750			19,250
Amount Outstanding	[1]	15,750			19,250
Second Addendum Migdal Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		43,700
Amount Issued		50,000						$ 50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 43,700
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	5.44%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 2 and DEG 3 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 51,500
Amount Issued		91,500
Amount Outstanding		51,500
USG Prudential - NV [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		25,000
Amount Issued		30,700
Amount Outstanding		$ 25,000
Annual Interest Rate	[6]	6.75%
Maturity Date		Dec. 31, 2037
Migdal Senior Unsecured Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 174,800
Amount Issued		200,000
Amount Outstanding		174,800
Loans Assumed in Purchase of USG [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	119,392			79,064
Amount Outstanding	[1]	119,392			79,064
Other Loans, Limited and Non-recourse [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	4,585			5,930
Amount Outstanding	[1]	4,585			5,930
Other Loans, Limited Resource [Member] | Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	5,805			7,697
Amount Outstanding	[1]	5,805			7,697
Senior Unsecured Bonds [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	255,754			539,567
Amount Outstanding	[1]	255,754			539,567
Hapoalim, Mizrahi, HSBC and Discount Loans [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	298,884			266,071
Amount Outstanding	[1]	298,884			266,071
Olkaria III DEG [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	51,528			60,896
Amount Outstanding	[1]	51,528			60,896
Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Noncurrent portion	[1]	$ 431,250			$ 0

[1] the amounts presented exclude deferred financing costs, if any

[2] payable quarterly

[3] payable semi-annually

[4] payable semi-annually in arrears.

[5] payable quarterly in arrears

[6] payable semi-annually, except for Nevada non-recourse which is payable quarterly