Note 11 - Long-term Debt, Credit Agreements and Finance Liability - Long-term Debt (Details) $ in Thousands, ₪ in Billions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023	Feb. 27, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Nov. 28, 2022 USD ($)	Apr. 12, 2022 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2020 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2020 ILS (₪)	Apr. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 25, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 22, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 23, 2012 USD ($)
Financing liability	[1]	$ 225,760						$ 242,029
Less current portion	[1]	(5,141)						(16,270)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	220,619						225,759
Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross				$ 113,000
Amount Issued				189,100
Amount Outstanding				113,000
Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	512,852						596,201
Less current portion	[1]	(57,207)						(64,044)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	455,645						532,157
Amount Outstanding	[1]	512,852						596,201
Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	817,737						780,966
Less current portion	[1]	(116,864)						(101,460)
Noncurrent portion	[1]	700,873						679,506
Amount Outstanding	[1]	817,737						780,966
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		120,600
Amount Issued		310,000														$ 310,000
Amount Outstanding		120,600
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche One [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		33,000
Amount Issued		85,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 33,000
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.34%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche Two [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 68,800
Amount Issued		180,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 68,800
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.29%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Tranche Three [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 18,800
Amount Issued		45,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 18,800
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	6.12%
Loan Agreement With OPIC the Olkaria III Power Plant [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 120,668						138,663
Amount Outstanding	[1]	120,668						138,663
Mizrahi Loan Agreement 2023 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		50,000
Amount Issued		50,000			$ 50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 50,000
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	7.15%
Hapoalim Loan Agreement 2023 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 95,000
Amount Issued		100,000					$ 100,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 95,000
Annual Interest Rate		6.45%
Mizrahi Loan Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 60,900
Amount Issued		75,000								$ 75,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 60,900
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	4.10%
Hapoalim Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 80,400
Amount Issued		125,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 80,400
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.45%
HSBC Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 35,700
Amount Issued		50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 35,700
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.45%
Discount Loan Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 75,000
Amount Issued		100,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 75,000
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	2.90%
Senior Unsecured Bonds, Series 4 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 220,600
Amount Issued		289,800									$ 289,800	₪ 1
Amount Outstanding		$ 220,600
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	3.35%
Senior Unsecured Loan (Migdal) [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 79,000
Amount Issued		100,000													$ 100,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 79,000
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	4.80%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Senior Unsecured Loan (Migdal) [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 158,000						174,800
Amount Outstanding	[1]	158,000						174,800
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 2 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		22,500
Amount Issued		50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 22,500
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	6.28%
Maturity Date		Jun. 30, 2028
Platanares Finance Agreement [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 71,700
Amount Issued		114,700
Amount Outstanding		$ 71,700
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	7.02%
Maturity Date		Sep. 30, 2032
Platanares Finance Agreement [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 71,687						79,880
Amount Outstanding	[1]	71,687						79,880
Don A. Campbell 1 ("DAC1") [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		57,400
Amount Issued		92,500
Amount Outstanding		$ 57,400
Annual Interest Rate	[2]	4.03%
Maturity Date		Sep. 30, 2033
Don A. Campbell 1 ("DAC1") [Member] | Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 57,397						62,698
Amount Outstanding	[1]	57,397						62,698
Ormat Funding Corp [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		142,500
Amount Issued		291,700
Amount Outstanding		142,500
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Series A Senior Notes [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		63,900
Amount Issued		151,700
Amount Outstanding		$ 63,900
Annual Interest Rate	[5]	4.69%
Maturity Date		Dec. 31, 2032
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Series C Senior Notes [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 78,600
Amount Issued		140,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 78,600
Annual Interest Rate	[5]	4.61%
Maturity Date		Dec. 31, 2032
Ormat Funding Corp [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	$ 142,464						158,036
Amount Outstanding	[1]	142,464						158,036
Idaho Refinancing Note [Member]
Amount Issued									$ 61,600
Annual Interest Rate									6.26%
Idaho Refinancing Note [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross				58,900
Amount Issued				61,600
Amount Outstanding				$ 58,900
Annual Interest Rate	[6]			6.26%
Maturity Date				Mar. 31, 2038
Finance Liability [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		225,800
Amount Outstanding		$ 225,800
Annual Interest Rate		6.12%	[3]			2.55%
Additional Migdal Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 39,500
Amount Issued		50,000												$ 50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 39,500
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	4.60%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 3 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 19,700
Amount Issued		41,500
Amount Outstanding		$ 19,700
Annual Interest Rate	[3]	6.04%
Maturity Date		Jun. 30, 2028
DOE Loan Guarantee [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross				$ 30,200
Amount Issued				96,800
Amount Outstanding				$ 30,200
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]	$ 0						15,750
Amount Outstanding	[1]	0						15,750
Second Addendum Migdal Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		39,500
Amount Issued		50,000											$ 50,000
Amount Outstanding		$ 39,500
Annual Interest Rate	[4]	5.44%
Maturity Date		Mar. 31, 2029
Olkaria IV Loan - DEG 2 and DEG 3 [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		$ 42,200
Amount Issued		91,500
Amount Outstanding		42,200
USG Prudential - NV [Member] | Nonrecourse Debt [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross				$ 23,900
Amount Issued				30,700
Amount Outstanding				$ 23,900
Annual Interest Rate	[6]			6.75%
Maturity Date				Dec. 31, 2037
Plumstriker Loan Agreement [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	0						11,392
Amount Outstanding	[1]	0						11,392
Migdal Senior Unsecured Loan [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		158,000
Amount Issued		200,000
Amount Outstanding		158,000
Loans Assumed in Purchase of USG [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		112,959						119,392
Amount Outstanding		112,959						119,392
Other Loans, Limited and Non-recourse [Member] | Limited Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	3,460						4,585
Amount Outstanding	[1]	3,460						4,585
Other Loans, Limited Resource [Member] | Nonrecourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	4,216						5,805
Amount Outstanding	[1]	4,216						5,805
Senior Unsecured Bonds [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		220,568						255,754
Amount Outstanding		220,568						255,754
Hapoalim, Hapoalim 2023, Mizrahi, Mizrahi 2023, HSBC and Discount Loans [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross		397,009						298,884
Amount Outstanding		397,009						298,884
Olkaria III DEG [Member] | Recourse [Member]
Long-Term Debt, Gross	[1]	42,160						51,528
Amount Outstanding	[1]	42,160						51,528
Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Noncurrent portion	[1]	$ 431,250						$ 431,250

[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