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Debt and Finance Obligation Debt and Finance Obligation
6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2016
Debt [Abstract]  
Debt and Finance Obligation
Debt and Finance Obligation
Debt as of April 30, 2016 and October 31, 2015, consisted of the following:
 
 
April 30, 2016
 
October 31, 2015
Revolving credit facility
 
$

 
$
2,945

Connecticut Development Authority Note
 
2,704

 
2,817

Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority Note
 
6,052

 
6,052

NRG Energy, Inc. Loan Agreement
 
10,963

 
3,763

PNC Energy Capital, LLC Finance Obligation
 
6,923

 

State of Connecticut Loan
 
10,000

 

Hercules Loan and Security Agreement
 
15,044

 

Capitalized lease obligations
 
673

 
726

Total debt
 
$
52,359

 
$
16,303

Current portion of long-term debt and finance obligation
 
(11,619
)
 
(7,358
)
Long-term debt
 
$
40,740

 
$
8,945



In April 2016, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with Hercules Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”) for an aggregate principal amount of up to $25.0 million, subject to certain terms and conditions. The Company made an initial term loan advance on the date of closing of $15.0 million. The Company may make an additional loan advance of $5.0 million between the later of October 15, 2016 or the date certain milestones are met and December 15, 2016 (“Tranche II”). FCE may also make a loan advance of $5.0 million beginning on the later of January 1, 2017 or the date certain milestones are met and June 15, 2017 (“Tranche III”). The loan is a 30 month secured facility and the term loan interest is currently 9.5%. Interest is paid on a monthly basis. During the first year of the loan, interest only payments are to be made and may be extended for up to 24 months upon the Company achieving certain milestones. Currently, principal and interest payments are to commence on May 1, 2017. The loan balance and all accrued and unpaid interest is due and payable by October 1, 2018. Per the terms of the loan and security agreement, there is an end of term charge of $1.7 million which is being accreted over the 30 month term using the effective interest rate method.

As collateral for obligations under the loan and security agreement, the Company granted Hercules a security interest in FuelCell Energy, Inc.'s existing and hereafter-acquired assets except for intellectual property and certain other excluded assets. Collateral does not include assets held by FuelCell Energy Finance, LLC or any project subsidiary thereof. The Company may continue to collateralize and finance its project subsidiaries through other lenders and partners. The loan contains a financial covenant whereby the Company is required to maintain an unrestricted cash balance of at least (a) 75% of the outstanding Loan balance plus (b) the amount of accounts payable (as defined under GAAP) not paid within 90 days of the date payment was issued.

On November 9, 2015, the Company closed on a definitive Assistance Agreement with the State of Connecticut and received a disbursement of $10.0 million to be used for the first phase of the expansion project to expand the existing 65,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Torrington, Connecticut by approximately 102,000 square feet for a total size of 167,000 square feet. In conjunction with this financing, the Company entered into a $10.0 million Promissory Note and related security agreement securing the loan with equipment liens and a mortgage on its Danbury, Connecticut location. Pursuant to the terms of the loan, payment of principal is deferred for the first four years. Interest at a fixed rate of 2.0% is payable beginning December 2015. The financing is payable over 15 years, and is predicated on certain terms and conditions, including the forgiveness of up to half of the loan principal if certain job retention and job creation targets are reached.

In 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with PNC Energy Capital, LLC. (“PNC”). Under this agreement, the Company’s project finance subsidiaries may enter into up to $30.0 million of lease agreements for commissioned projects whereby the lease is structured as a sale-leaseback facility for projects where we have entered into a PPA with the end-user of power and site host. On December 23, 2015 the Company closed on its first project with PNC through a sale-leaseback of the UCI Fuel Cell, LLC power plant which initiated commercial operations in December 2015. Proceeds from the transaction totaled approximately $8.8 million and were partially used to settle outstanding construction period debt to NRG as referenced below. The Company has determined the power plant is considered integral equipment and the Company has accounted for the transaction under the financing method. Under the financing method, the Company does not recognize as income any of the sale proceeds received from the lessor that contractually constitutes payment to acquire the assets subject to these arrangements. Instead, the sale proceeds received are accounted for as financing obligations and leaseback payments made by the Company are allocated between interest expense and a reduction to the financing obligation. Interest on the financing obligation is calculated using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate at the inception of the arrangement on the outstanding financing obligation. Judgment is required to determine the appropriate borrowing rate for the arrangement and in determining any gain or loss on the transaction that would be recorded at the end of the lease term. The outstanding finance obligation balance as of April 30, 2016 is $6.9 million which represents a reduction from the original proceeds due to an upfront lease payment of $2.1 million.

On July 30, 2014, the Company's subsidiary, FuelCell Energy Finance, LLC (“FuelCell Finance”) entered into a Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with NRG Energy, Inc. ("NRG"). Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, NRG has extended a $40.0 million revolving construction and term financing facility to FuelCell Finance for the purpose of accelerating project development by the Company and its subsidiaries. FuelCell Finance and its subsidiaries may draw on the facility to finance the construction of projects through the commercial operating date of the power plants. FuelCell Finance has the option to continue the financing term for each project after the commercial operating date for a maximum term of five years per project. The interest rate is 8.5 percent per annum for construction-period financing and 8.0 percent thereafter. Fees that were paid by FuelCell Finance to NRG for making the loan facility available and related legal fees incurred were capitalized and are being amortized straight-line over the life of the related loan agreement, which is five years. During fiscal year 2015, our project finance subsidiary, UCI Fuel Cell LLC borrowed $3.8 million which was subsequently paid off in December 2015 in conjunction with the PNC sale-leaseback transaction. During the six months ended April 30, 2016, our project finance subsidiaries borrowed a total of $11.0 million which is secured by project assets held by these subsidiaries. The term of the loans are up to five years but may be repaid early should the projects be sold or refinanced at the option of the Company.
On August 1, 2014, the Company entered into a revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the "Bank") which had a total borrowing capacity of $4.0 million. The credit facility expired on November 28, 2015 in conjunction with the Export-Import Bank charter expiration and the outstanding balance was paid back on November 24, 2015.
In April 2008, the Company entered into a 10-year loan agreement with the Connecticut Development Authority to finance equipment purchases associated with manufacturing capacity expansion allowing for a maximum amount borrowed of $4.0 million. The interest rate is 5.0 percent and the loan is collateralized by the assets procured under this loan as well as $4.0 million of additional machinery and equipment. Repayment terms require monthly interest and principal payments through May 2018.

On March 5, 2013 the Company closed on a long-term loan agreement with the Connecticut Clean Energy and Finance Investment Authority (CEFIA, now known as the CT Green Bank) totaling $5.9 million in support of the Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park project. The loan agreement carries an interest rate of 5.0 percent. Interest only payments commenced in January 2014 and principal payments will commence on the eighth anniversary of the project's provisional acceptance date, which is December 20, 2021, payable in forty eight equal monthly installments. Outstanding amounts are secured by future cash flows from the Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park service agreement.
We lease computer equipment under master lease agreements. Lease payment terms are generally thirty-six months from the date of acceptance for leased equipment.