Nature of Operations	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Nature of Operations.
Nature of Operations	1. Nature of Operations Description of Business Plug Power Inc., or the Company, is a leading provider of alternative energy technology focused on the design, development, commercialization and manufacture of hydrogen and fuel cell systems used primarily for the electric mobility and stationary power markets. As part of the global drive to electrification, Plug Power has recently leveraged product proven in the material handling vehicle space to enter new, adjacent, electric vehicle markets, specifically electric delivery vans. We are focused on proton exchange membrane, or PEM, fuel cell and fuel processing technologies, fuel cell/battery hybrid technologies, and associated hydrogen storage and dispensing infrastructure from which multiple products are available. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and heat without combustion. Hydrogen is derived from hydrocarbon fuels such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), propane, methanol, ethanol, gasoline or biofuels. Plug Power develops complete hydrogen generation, delivery, storage and refueling solutions for customer locations. Currently the Company obtains the majority of its hydrogen by purchasing it from fuel suppliers for resale to customers. In our core business, we provide and continue to develop commercially-viable hydrogen and fuel cell product solutions to replace lead‑acid batteries in electric material handling vehicles and industrial trucks for some of the world’s largest retail-distribution and manufacturing businesses. We are focusing our efforts on industrial mobility applications (electric forklifts and electric industrial vehicles) at multi‑shift high volume manufacturing and high throughput distribution sites where our products and services provide a unique combination of productivity, flexibility and environmental benefits. Additionally, we manufacture and sell fuel cell products to replace batteries and diesel generators in stationary backup power applications. These products prove valuable with telecommunications, transportation and utility customers as robust, reliable and sustainable power solutions. Our current products and services include: GenDrive: GenDrive is our hydrogen fueled PEM fuel cell system providing power to material handling electric vehicles, including class 1, 2, 3 and 6 electric forklifts and ground support equipment; GenFuel: GenFuel is our hydrogen fueling delivery, generation, storage and dispensing systems; GenCare: GenCare is our ongoing ‘internet of things’-based maintenance and on-site service program for GenDrive fuel cells, GenSure products, GenFuel products and ProGen engines; GenSure: GenSure is our stationary fuel cell solution providing scalable, modular PEM fuel cell power to support the backup and grid-support power requirements of the telecommunications, transportation, and utility sectors; GenKey: GenKey is our turn-key solution combining either GenDrive or GenSure power with GenFuel fuel and GenCare aftermarket service, offering complete simplicity to customers transitioning to fuel cell power; and ProGen: ProGen is our fuel cell stack and engine technology currently used globally in mobility and stationary fuel cell systems, and as engines in electric delivery vans; We provide our products worldwide through our direct product sales force, and by leveraging relationships with original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, and their dealer networks. We manufacture our commercially-viable products in Latham, NY. We were organized as a corporation in the State of Delaware on June 27, 1997. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “Company,” “Plug Power,” “we,” “our” or “us” as used herein refers to Plug Power Inc. and its subsidiaries. Liquidity Our cash requirements relate primarily to working capital needed to operate and grow our business, including funding operating expenses, growth in inventory to support both shipments of new units and servicing the installed base, growth in equipment leased to customers under long-term arrangements, funding the growth in our GenKey “turn-key” solution, which includes the installation of our customers’ hydrogen infrastructure as well as delivery of the hydrogen fuel, continued development and expansion of our products, payment of lease/financing obligations under sale/leaseback financings, and the repayment or refinancing of our long-term debt. Our ability to achieve profitability and meet future liquidity needs and capital requirements will depend upon numerous factors, including the timing and quantity of product orders and shipments; attaining and expanding positive gross margins across all product lines; the timing and amount of our operating expenses; the timing and costs of working capital needs; the timing and costs of building a sales base; the ability of our customers to obtain financing to support commercial transactions; our ability to obtain financing arrangements to support the sale or leasing of our products and services to customers and to repay or refinance our long-term debt, and the terms of such agreements that may require us to pledge or restrict substantial amounts of our cash to support these financing arrangements; the timing and costs of developing marketing and distribution channels; the timing and costs of product service requirements; the timing and costs of hiring and training product staff; the extent to which our products gain market acceptance; the timing and costs of product development and introductions; the extent of our ongoing and new research and development programs; and changes in our strategy or our planned activities. If we are unable to fund our operations with positive cash flows and cannot obtain external financing, we may not be able to sustain future operations. As a result, we may be required to delay, reduce and/or cease our operations and/or seek bankruptcy protection. We have experienced and continue to experience negative cash flows from operations and net losses. The Company incurred net losses attributable to common shareholders of $45.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and $130.2 million, $57.6 million, and $55.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, and has an accumulated deficit of $1.2 billion at June 30, 2018. During the six months ended June 30, 2018, cash used in operating activities was $45.2 million, consisting primarily of a net loss attributable to the Company of $45.7 million and net outflows from fluctuations in working capital and other assets and liabilities of $10.7 million, offset by the impact of noncash charges/gains of $11.2 million. The changes in working capital primarily were related to an increase in accounts receivable and a decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities, offset by decreases in inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets and an increase in deferred revenue. As of June 30, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $15.0 million and net working capital of $8.2 million. By comparison, at December 31, 2017, we had cash and cash equivalents of $24.8 million and net working capital of $3.9 million. Net cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018, totaled $16.4 million and included purchases of property, plant and equipment and outflows associated with materials, labor, and overhead necessary to construct new leased property. Cash outflows related to equipment that we sell and equipment we lease directly to customers are included in net cash used in operating activities and net cash used in investing activities, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018 totaled $48.9 million and primarily resulted from net proceeds of $52.4 million from the issuance of Convertible Senior Notes, net of purchases of a capped call and a common stock forward, and a $2.2 million increase in finance obligations, offset by $5.7 million of principal payments on long-term debt. In March 2018, we issued $100.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2023 (Convertible Senior Notes). The total net proceeds from this offering, after considering costs of the issuance, were approximately $96.1 million. Approximately $43.5 million of the proceeds were used for the cost of a capped call and a common stock forward, both of which are hedges related to the Convertible Senior Notes. The remaining net proceeds from the Convertible Senior Notes will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital. The Company enters into sale/leaseback agreements with various financial institutions to facilitate the Company’s commercial transactions with key customers. The Company sells certain fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure to the financial institutions, and leases the equipment back to support certain customer locations and to fulfill its varied PPAs. In connection with certain past operating leases, the financial institutions required the Company to maintain cash balances in restricted accounts securing the Company’s lease obligations. Cash received from customers under the PPAs is used to make lease payments. As the Company performs under these agreements, the required restricted cash balances are released, according to a set schedule. The total remaining lease payments to financial institutions under these agreements was $28.2 million, which has been fully secured with restricted cash and pledged service escrows. The Company has an amended and restated master lease agreement with Wells Fargo (Wells Fargo MLA) to finance the Company’s commercial transactions with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Walmart). Pursuant to the Wells Fargo MLA, the Company sells fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure to Wells Fargo and then leases them back and operates them at Walmart sites under lease agreements with Walmart. The total remaining lease payments to Wells Fargo was $24.8 million at June 30, 2018. Additionally, the Company completed financings in August 2018 of approximately $16.0 million. The Wells Fargo MLA requires the Company to maintain restricted cash for the portion of the transaction that related to the applicable investment tax credit. We have historically funded our operations primarily through public and private offerings of common and preferred stock, as well as short-term borrowings, long-term debt and project financing, and recently with Convertible Senior Notes. The Company believes that its current working capital and cash anticipated to be generated from future operations, as well as borrowings from lending and project financing sources and proceeds from equity offerings, will provide sufficient liquidity to fund operations for at least one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. There is no guarantee that future funding will be available if and when required or at terms acceptable to the Company. This projection is based on our current expectations regarding new project financing and product sales and service, cost structure, cash burn rate and other operating assumptions. Additionally, the Company has other capital sources available, including the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (see Note 9).

1. Nature of Operations

Description of Business

Plug Power Inc., or the Company, is a leading provider of alternative energy technology focused on the design, development, commercialization and manufacture of hydrogen and fuel cell systems used primarily for the electric mobility and stationary power markets. As part of the global drive to electrification, Plug Power has recently leveraged product proven in the material handling vehicle space to enter new, adjacent, electric vehicle markets, specifically electric delivery vans.

We are focused on proton exchange membrane, or PEM, fuel cell and fuel processing technologies, fuel cell/battery hybrid technologies, and associated hydrogen storage and dispensing infrastructure from which multiple products are available. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and heat without combustion. Hydrogen is derived from hydrocarbon fuels such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), propane, methanol, ethanol, gasoline or biofuels. Plug Power develops complete hydrogen generation, delivery, storage and refueling solutions for customer locations. Currently the Company obtains the majority of its hydrogen by purchasing it from fuel suppliers for resale to customers.

In our core business, we provide and continue to develop commercially-viable hydrogen and fuel cell product solutions to replace lead‑acid batteries in electric material handling vehicles and industrial trucks for some of the world’s largest retail-distribution and manufacturing businesses. We are focusing our efforts on industrial mobility applications (electric forklifts and electric industrial vehicles) at multi‑shift high volume manufacturing and high throughput distribution sites where our products and services provide a unique combination of productivity, flexibility and environmental benefits. Additionally, we manufacture and sell fuel cell products to replace batteries and diesel generators in stationary backup power applications. These products prove valuable with telecommunications, transportation and utility customers as robust, reliable and sustainable power solutions.

Our current products and services include:

GenDrive: GenDrive is our hydrogen fueled PEM fuel cell system providing power to material handling electric vehicles, including class 1, 2, 3 and 6 electric forklifts and ground support equipment;

GenFuel: GenFuel is our hydrogen fueling delivery, generation, storage and dispensing systems;

GenCare: GenCare is our ongoing ‘internet of things’-based maintenance and on-site service program for GenDrive fuel cells, GenSure products, GenFuel products and ProGen engines;

GenSure: GenSure is our stationary fuel cell solution providing scalable, modular PEM fuel cell power to support the backup and grid-support power requirements of the telecommunications, transportation, and utility sectors;

GenKey: GenKey is our turn-key solution combining either GenDrive or GenSure power with GenFuel fuel and GenCare aftermarket service, offering complete simplicity to customers transitioning to fuel cell power; and

ProGen: ProGen is our fuel cell stack and engine technology currently used globally in mobility and stationary fuel cell systems, and as engines in electric delivery vans;

We provide our products worldwide through our direct product sales force, and by leveraging relationships with original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, and their dealer networks. We manufacture our commercially-viable products in Latham, NY.

We were organized as a corporation in the State of Delaware on June 27, 1997.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “Company,” “Plug Power,” “we,” “our” or “us” as used herein refers to Plug Power Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Liquidity

Our cash requirements relate primarily to working capital needed to operate and grow our business, including funding operating expenses, growth in inventory to support both shipments of new units and servicing the installed base, growth in equipment leased to customers under long-term arrangements, funding the growth in our GenKey “turn-key” solution, which includes the installation of our customers’ hydrogen infrastructure as well as delivery of the hydrogen fuel, continued development and expansion of our products, payment of lease/financing obligations under sale/leaseback financings, and the repayment or refinancing of our long-term debt. Our ability to achieve profitability and meet future liquidity needs and capital requirements will depend upon numerous factors, including the timing and quantity of product orders and shipments; attaining and expanding positive gross margins across all product lines; the timing and amount of our operating expenses; the timing and costs of working capital needs; the timing and costs of building a sales base; the ability of our customers to obtain financing to support commercial transactions; our ability to obtain financing arrangements to support the sale or leasing of our products and services to customers and to repay or refinance our long-term debt, and the terms of such agreements that may require us to pledge or restrict substantial amounts of our cash to support these financing arrangements; the timing and costs of developing marketing and distribution channels; the timing and costs of product service requirements; the timing and costs of hiring and training product staff; the extent to which our products gain market acceptance; the timing and costs of product development and introductions; the extent of our ongoing and new research and development programs; and changes in our strategy or our planned activities. If we are unable to fund our operations with positive cash flows and cannot obtain external financing, we may not be able to sustain future operations. As a result, we may be required to delay, reduce and/or cease our operations and/or seek bankruptcy protection.

We have experienced and continue to experience negative cash flows from operations and net losses. The Company incurred net losses attributable to common shareholders of $45.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and $130.2 million, $57.6 million, and $55.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, and has an accumulated deficit of $1.2 billion at June 30, 2018.

During the six months ended June 30, 2018, cash used in operating activities was $45.2 million, consisting primarily of a net loss attributable to the Company of $45.7 million and net outflows from fluctuations in working capital and other assets and liabilities of $10.7 million, offset by the impact of noncash charges/gains of $11.2 million. The changes in working capital primarily were related to an increase in accounts receivable and a decrease in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities, offset by decreases in inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets and an increase in deferred revenue. As of June 30, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $15.0 million and net working capital of $8.2 million. By comparison, at December 31, 2017, we had cash and cash equivalents of $24.8 million and net working capital of $3.9 million.

Net cash used in investing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018, totaled $16.4 million and included purchases of property, plant and equipment and outflows associated with materials, labor, and overhead necessary to construct new leased property. Cash outflows related to equipment that we sell and equipment we lease directly to customers are included in net cash used in operating activities and net cash used in investing activities, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2018 totaled $48.9 million and primarily resulted from net proceeds of $52.4 million from the issuance of Convertible Senior Notes, net of purchases of a capped call and a common stock forward, and a $2.2 million increase in finance obligations, offset by $5.7 million of principal payments on long-term debt.

In March 2018, we issued $100.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2023 (Convertible Senior Notes). The total net proceeds from this offering, after considering costs of the issuance, were approximately $96.1 million. Approximately $43.5 million of the proceeds were used for the cost of a capped call and a common stock forward, both of which are hedges related to the Convertible Senior Notes. The remaining net proceeds from the Convertible Senior Notes will be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital.

The Company enters into sale/leaseback agreements with various financial institutions to facilitate the Company’s commercial transactions with key customers. The Company sells certain fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure to the financial institutions, and leases the equipment back to support certain customer locations and to fulfill its varied PPAs. In connection with certain past operating leases, the financial institutions required the Company to maintain cash balances in restricted accounts securing the Company’s lease obligations. Cash received from customers under the PPAs is used to make lease payments. As the Company performs under these agreements, the required restricted cash balances are released, according to a set schedule. The total remaining lease payments to financial institutions under these agreements was $28.2 million, which has been fully secured with restricted cash and pledged service escrows.

The Company has an amended and restated master lease agreement with Wells Fargo (Wells Fargo MLA) to finance the Company’s commercial transactions with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Walmart). Pursuant to the Wells Fargo MLA, the Company sells fuel cell systems and hydrogen infrastructure to Wells Fargo and then leases them back and operates them at Walmart sites under lease agreements with Walmart. The total remaining lease payments to Wells Fargo was $24.8 million at June 30, 2018. Additionally, the Company completed financings in August 2018 of approximately $16.0 million. The Wells Fargo MLA requires the Company to maintain restricted cash for the portion of the transaction that related to the applicable investment tax credit.

We have historically funded our operations primarily through public and private offerings of common and preferred stock, as well as short-term borrowings, long-term debt and project financing, and recently with Convertible Senior Notes. The Company believes that its current working capital and cash anticipated to be generated from future operations, as well as borrowings from lending and project financing sources and proceeds from equity offerings, will provide sufficient liquidity to fund operations for at least one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. There is no guarantee that future funding will be available if and when required or at terms acceptable to the Company. This projection is based on our current expectations regarding new project financing and product sales and service, cost structure, cash burn rate and other operating assumptions. Additionally, the Company has other capital sources available, including the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (see Note 9).