UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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Item 4.01 Changes in Registrants’ Certifying Accountant.
Alternus Clean Energy, Inc. (the “Company”), was notified that Mazars USA LLP (“Mazars”), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, entered into a transaction with FORVIS, LLP (“FORVIS”) whereby substantially all of the partners and employees of Mazars joined FORVIS. As a result on the effective date of June 1, 2024, FORVIS, LLP changed its name to Forvis Mazars, LLP (“Forvis Mazars”) and Mazars resigned as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Forvis Mazars to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm effective June 1, 2024.
The audit report of Mazars on the financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2023 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and the subsequent period through the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, there were (i) no disagreements (as such term is used in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K) between the Company and Mazars on any matters of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which disagreement(s), if not resolved to the satisfaction of Mazars, would have caused Mazars to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement(s) in connection with its report on the Company’s financial statements and (ii) no reportable events within the meaning set forth in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
During the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and the subsequent period through the date of this report, neither the Company nor any party acting on behalf of the Company consulted with Forvis Mazars regarding any of the matters set forth in Items 304(a)(2)(i) and (ii) of Regulation S-K.
The Company has provided Mazars a copy of the disclosures in this Form 8-K and has requested that Mazars furnish it with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating whether or not Mazars agrees with the Company’s statements in this Item 4.01. A copy of the letter dated June 6, 2024 furnished by Mazars in response to that request is filed as Exhibit 16.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K other than statements of historical facts, including any information on the Company’s plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express the Company’s management’s expectations or estimates of future performance, constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management team. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Such statements are based on a number of estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company cautions that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and other factors that may cause the actual financial results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from the Company’s estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments of any date after the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
As described in Item 4.01 of this Report, the following is filed as part of this Current Report on Form 8-K:
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 16.1 | Letter of Mazars USA LLP to the Securities and Exchange Commission dated June 6, 2024 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Date: June 6, 2024 | ALTERNUS CLEAN ENERGY, INC. | |
| By: | /s/ Vincent Browne | |
| Name: | Vincent Browne | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors | |
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