Operating and Finance Lease Liabilities - Future minimum lease payments under operating and finance leases (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Future minimum lease payments under operating lease
2024	$ 99,356
2025	94,569
2026	85,693
2027	71,414
2028	49,477
2029 and thereafter	145,875
Total future minimum lease payments	546,384
Less imputed interest	(190,691)
Total operating lease, liabilities	355,693
Future minimum lease payments under finance leases
2024	12,117
2025	15,033
2026	12,175
2027	8,485
2028	1,896
2029 and thereafter	3,247
Total future minimum lease payments	52,953
Less imputed interest	(7,379)
Total finance lease liabilities	45,574
Future minimum lease payments under operating and finance leases
2024	111,473
2025	109,602
2026	97,868
2027	79,899
2028	51,373
2029 and thereafter	149,122
Total future minimum payments	599,337
Less imputed interest	(198,070)
Total	$ 401,267

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating and finance lease.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

n/a

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentDueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for operating and finance lease payments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentDueTotal
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid after Fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidAfterYearfive
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in first fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for operating and finance lease payments in excess of discounted obligation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityUndiscountedExcessAmount
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilitiesPaymentsDueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from finance lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147478964/842-20-50-6

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479041/842-20-45-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments for finance lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid after fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueAfterYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments in excess of discounted obligation for lease payments for finance lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityUndiscountedExcessAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease due after fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueAfterYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease to be paid in fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments in excess of discounted obligation for lease payments for operating lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityUndiscountedExcessAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiabilitiesPaymentsDueAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479041/842-20-45-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant