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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments for operating lease, due in fourth and after fourth fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Present value of lessee's discounted obligation for lease payments from operating and finance lease.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiability
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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n/a

No definition available.

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

No definition available.

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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments for operating and financing lease having an initial or remaining lease term in excess of one year to be paid in remainder of fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidRemainderOfFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in fourth and after fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	plug_
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating and finance lease to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year.

No definition available.

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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.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearThree
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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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.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityToBePaidYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for operating and finance lease payments in excess of discounted obligation.

No definition available.

Name:	plug_OperatingAndFinanceLeaseLiabilityUndiscountedExcessAmount
Namespace Prefix:	plug_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- References

No definition available.

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

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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918701-209980

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121603541&loc=SL77918627-209977

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiability
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payments for finance lease.

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

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).

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

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).

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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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).

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for finance lease to be paid in remainder of current fiscal year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918701-209980

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

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

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

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

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

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).

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

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).

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

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).

Name:	us-gaap_LesseeOperatingLeaseLiabilityPaymentsDueYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of lessee's undiscounted obligation for lease payment for operating lease having initial or remaining lease term in excess of one year to be paid in remainder of current fiscal year.

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

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

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

- References

No definition available.

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

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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121603541&loc=SL77918627-209977