Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Note 1—Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Genie Energy Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Genie”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020. The balance sheet at December 31, 2019 has been derived from the Company’s audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, please refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company owns 99.3% of its subsidiary, Genie Energy International Corporation (“GEIC”), which owns 100% of Genie Retail Energy (“GRE”), 100% of Genie Retail Energy International LLC ("GRE International" or "GREI"), 100% of Genie Energy Services ("GES") and 97.0% of Genie Oil and Gas, Inc. (“GOGAS”). GRE owns and operates retail energy providers (“REPs”), including IDT Energy, Inc. (“IDT Energy”), Residents Energy, Inc. (“Residents Energy”), Town Square Energy, LLC and Town Square Energy East, LLC (collectively, "TSE"), Southern Federal Power LLC ("Southern Federal") and Mirabito Natural Gas (“Mirabito”). GRE's REP businesses resell electricity and natural gas to residential and small business customers primarily in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. GRE International holds the Company's 77.0% interest in Shoreditch Energy Limited, its joint venture that serves retail customers in the United Kingdom ("U.K.") under the name Orbit Energy, its venture in Japan, which launched commercial operations in second quarter of 2019, the Company's 92.5% controlling interest in Lumo Energia Oyj ("Lumo"), a REP serving residential customers in Finland, and its 100% interest in Lumo Energi AB, which was formed in 2019 to serve retail energy customers in Sweden. GES oversees Diversegy LLC ("Diversegy"), a retail energy advisory and brokerage company that serves commercial and industrial customers throughout the United States ("U.S.") and manages GRE's 60.0% interest in Prism Solar Technology, Inc. ("Prism"), a solar solutions company that is engaged in U.S.-based manufacturing of solar panels, solar installation design and solar energy project management. GOGAS is an oil and gas exploration company and owns an interest in a contracted drilling services operation. GOGAS holds an 86.1% interest in Afek Oil and Gas, Ltd. (“Afek”), an oil and gas exploration project in the Golan Heights in Northern Israel. GOGAS also holds controlling interests in inactive oil and gas projects. GOGAS also holds a 37.5% interest in a contracted drilling services company in Israel ("Atid 613"). Seasonality and Weather The weather and the seasons, among other things, affect GRE’s revenues. Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for natural gas used for heating and electricity used for heating and cooling. Typically, colder winters increase demand for natural gas and electricity, and hotter summers increase demand for electricity. Milder winters or summers have the opposite effect. Unseasonable temperatures in other periods may also impact demand levels. Natural gas revenues typically increase in the first quarter due to increased heating demands and electricity revenues typically increase in the third quarter due to increased air conditioning use. Approximately 46.9% and 50.3% of GRE’s natural gas revenues for the relevant years were generated in the first quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively, when demand for heating was highest. Although the demand for electricity is not as seasonal as natural gas (due, in part, to usage of electricity for both heating and cooling), approximately 31.8% and 29.5% of GRE’s electricity revenues for the relevant years were generated in the third quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively. GRE’s REPs’ revenues and operating income are subject to material seasonal variations, and the interim financial results are not necessarily indicative of the estimated financial results for the full year. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) During the first quarter 2020, the world and the United States experienced the unprecedented impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the impacts of COVID-19 are evident in several key aspects of the Company's business operations and the corresponding financial impact has been mixed. The Company's customer base is predominantly residential, so the Company has benefited from the increased demand for electricity as customers are working from their homes. On the other hand, like other retail providers, the Company suspended its face-to-face customer acquisition programs in March 2020 as public health measures were implemented to combat COVID-19, resulting in a decrease in gross meter acquisitions. The reduction in gross meter acquisitions decreased customer acquisition expense in the second quarter of 2020. Churn for second quarter of 2020 decreased as the Company's competitors suspended their face to face marketing programs. There are many uncertainties regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company is closely monitoring those impacts on all aspects of its business, including how it will impact the customers, employees, suppliers, vendors, and business partners.

Basis of Presentation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Note 1—Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Genie Energy Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Genie”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020. The balance sheet at December 31, 2019 has been derived from the Company’s audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, please refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

The Company owns 99.3% of its subsidiary, Genie Energy International Corporation (“GEIC”), which owns 100% of Genie Retail Energy (“GRE”), 100% of Genie Retail Energy International LLC ("GRE International" or "GREI"), 100% of Genie Energy Services ("GES") and 97.0% of Genie Oil and Gas, Inc. (“GOGAS”).

GRE owns and operates retail energy providers (“REPs”), including IDT Energy, Inc. (“IDT Energy”), Residents Energy, Inc. (“Residents Energy”), Town Square Energy, LLC and Town Square Energy East, LLC (collectively, "TSE"), Southern Federal Power LLC ("Southern Federal") and Mirabito Natural Gas (“Mirabito”). GRE's REP businesses resell electricity and natural gas to residential and small business customers primarily in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.

GRE International holds the Company's 77.0% interest in Shoreditch Energy Limited, its joint venture that serves retail customers in the United Kingdom ("U.K.") under the name Orbit Energy, its venture in Japan, which launched commercial operations in second quarter of 2019, the Company's 92.5% controlling interest in Lumo Energia Oyj ("Lumo"), a REP serving residential customers in Finland, and its 100% interest in Lumo Energi AB, which was formed in 2019 to serve retail energy customers in Sweden.

GES oversees Diversegy LLC ("Diversegy"), a retail energy advisory and brokerage company that serves commercial and industrial customers throughout the United States ("U.S.") and manages GRE's 60.0% interest in Prism Solar Technology, Inc. ("Prism"), a solar solutions company that is engaged in U.S.-based manufacturing of solar panels, solar installation design and solar energy project management.

GOGAS is an oil and gas exploration company and owns an interest in a contracted drilling services operation. GOGAS holds an 86.1% interest in Afek Oil and Gas, Ltd. (“Afek”), an oil and gas exploration project in the Golan Heights in Northern Israel. GOGAS also holds controlling interests in inactive oil and gas projects. GOGAS also holds a 37.5% interest in a contracted drilling services company in Israel ("Atid 613").

Seasonality and Weather

The weather and the seasons, among other things, affect GRE’s revenues. Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for natural gas used for heating and electricity used for heating and cooling. Typically, colder winters increase demand for natural gas and electricity, and hotter summers increase demand for electricity. Milder winters or summers have the opposite effect. Unseasonable temperatures in other periods may also impact demand levels. Natural gas revenues typically increase in the first quarter due to increased heating demands and electricity revenues typically increase in the third quarter due to increased air conditioning use. Approximately 46.9% and 50.3% of GRE’s natural gas revenues for the relevant years were generated in the first quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively, when demand for heating was highest. Although the demand for electricity is not as seasonal as natural gas (due, in part, to usage of electricity for both heating and cooling), approximately 31.8% and 29.5% of GRE’s electricity revenues for the relevant years were generated in the third quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively. GRE’s REPs’ revenues and operating income are subject to material seasonal variations, and the interim financial results are not necessarily indicative of the estimated financial results for the full year.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

During the first quarter 2020, the world and the United States experienced the unprecedented impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the impacts of COVID-19 are evident in several key aspects of the Company's business operations and the corresponding financial impact has been mixed. The Company's customer base is predominantly residential, so the Company has benefited from the increased demand for electricity as customers are working from their homes. On the other hand, like other retail providers, the Company suspended its face-to-face customer acquisition programs in March 2020 as public health measures were implemented to combat COVID-19, resulting in a decrease in gross meter acquisitions. The reduction in gross meter acquisitions decreased customer acquisition expense in the second quarter of 2020. Churn for second quarter of 2020 decreased as the Company's competitors suspended their face to face marketing programs.

There are many uncertainties regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company is closely monitoring those impacts on all aspects of its business, including how it will impact the customers, employees, suppliers, vendors, and business partners.