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Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Jul. 23, 2014
Jul. 22, 2014
May 16, 2012
May 15, 2012
May 12, 2011
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Compensation cost $ 4,200,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 2,200,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 2,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense            
Stock options                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Number of options outstanding (in shares) 8,367,271us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
4,703,326us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
             
Compensation cost $ 3,374,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
               
Number of options granted in period (in shares) 4,246,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
3,090,900us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
78,400us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
           
Assumptions for estimating fair value                  
Dividend Yield 0.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
0.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
  0.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
         
Expected term of options (years) 6 years 6 years   6 years          
Risk Free interest rate, minimum 1.77%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMinimum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
0.93%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMinimum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
0.80%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMinimum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
           
Risk Free interest rate, maximum 1.94%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMaximum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
1.70%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMaximum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
  1.16%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateMaximum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
         
Volatility, minimum (as a percent): 107.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateMinimum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
92.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateMinimum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
             
Volatility (as a percent):       80.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
         
Volatility, maximum (as a percent): 114.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateMaximum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
107.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateMaximum
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
             
the 2011 Plan | Stock options                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Maximum number of common stock shares available for issuance         17,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
6,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
6,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
1,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
1,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
Aggregate number of options granted (in shares) 8,400,000plug_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsAggregateNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
               
Number of options outstanding (in shares) 8,400,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
               
Number of options available for issuance (in shares) 8,200,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= plug_StockOptionAndIncentivePlan2011Member
               
Expiration period 10 years                
the 2011 Plan | Stock options | Minimum                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Vesting period 1 year                
the 2011 Plan | Stock options | Maximum                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Vesting period 3 years                
the 2011 Plan | Employees | Stock options                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Vesting period 3 years                
Expiration period 10 years                
the 2011 Plan | Board of Directors | Stock options                  
Employee Benefit Plans                  
Vesting period 1 year