Commitments and Contingencies	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies	Note 17. Commitments and Contingencies Service Agreements Under the provisions of its service agreements, the Company provides services to maintain, monitor, and repair customer power plants to meet minimum operating levels. Under the terms of such service agreements, the particular power plant must meet a minimum operating output during defined periods of the term. If minimum output falls below the contract requirement, the Company may be subject to performance penalties and/or may be required to repair or replace the customer’s fuel cell module(s). Power Purchase Agreements Under the terms of the Company’s PPAs, customers agree to purchase power from the Company’s fuel cell power plants at negotiated rates. Electricity rates are generally a function of the customers’ current and estimated future electricity pricing available from the grid. As owner or lessee of the power plants, the Company is responsible for all operating costs necessary to maintain, monitor and repair the power plants. Under certain agreements, the Company is also responsible for procuring fuel, generally natural gas or biogas, to run the power plants. In addition, under the terms of some of the PPAs, the Company may be subject to a performance penalty if the Company does not meet certain performance requirements. Project Fuel Exposure Certain of our PPAs for project assets in our generation operating portfolio expose us to fluctuating fuel price risks as well as the risk of being unable to procure the required amounts of fuel and the lack of alternative available fuel sources. We seek to mitigate our fuel risk using strategies including: (i) fuel cost reimbursement mechanisms in our PPAs to allow for pass through of fuel costs (full or partial) where possible, which we have done with our 14.9 MW operating project in Bridgeport, CT; (ii) procuring fuel under fixed price physical supply contracts with investment grade counterparties, which we have done for twenty years for our Tulare BioMAT project, the initial seven years of the eighteen year PPA for our LIPA Yaphank Project (through September 2028), six years of the twenty year PPA for our 14.0 MW and 2.8 MW Derby Projects (through October 2029), and the initial two years of the twenty year hydrogen power purchase agreement for our Toyota project (through May of 2025); and (iii) potentially entering into future financial hedges with investment grade counterparties to offset potential negative market fluctuations. The Company does not take a fundamental view on natural gas or other commodity pricing and seeks commercially available means to reduce commodity exposure. If the Company is unable to secure fuel on favorable economic terms, it may result in impairment charges. The Company net settled certain natural gas purchases under previous normal purchase normal sale contract designations during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023 for one contract and the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 for other contracts, which resulted in a change to mark-to-market accounting. The Company recorded a mark-to-market net loss of $2.3 million and $4.2 million associated with the natural gas contract derivatives for the three and six months ended April 30, 2024, respectively. The Company has recorded derivative assets within other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, which had an estimated fair value of $2.4 million and $4.1 million as of April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively. The Company has recorded derivative liabilities within long-term debt and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, which had an estimated fair value of $2.4 million and zero as of April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively. The natural gas contract derivatives are classified as Level 2 financial assets/liabilities since the values can be determined based on readily observable inputs for underlying natural gas forward prices. Other As of April 30, 2024, the Company had unconditional purchase commitments aggregating $80.4 million for materials, supplies and services in the normal course of business. Legal Proceedings From time to time, the Company is involved in legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, regulatory proceedings, claims, mediations, arbitrations and litigation, arising out of the ordinary course of its business (“Legal Proceedings”). Although the Company cannot assure the outcome of such Legal Proceedings, management presently believes that the result of such Legal Proceedings, either individually, or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and no material amounts have been accrued in the Company’s consolidated financial statements with respect to these matters.

Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2024

Note 17. Commitments and Contingencies

Service Agreements

Under the provisions of its service agreements, the Company provides services to maintain, monitor, and repair customer power plants to meet minimum operating levels. Under the terms of such service agreements, the particular power plant must meet a minimum operating output during defined periods of the term. If minimum output falls below the contract requirement, the Company may be subject to performance penalties and/or may be required to repair or replace the customer’s fuel cell module(s).

Power Purchase Agreements

Under the terms of the Company’s PPAs, customers agree to purchase power from the Company’s fuel cell power plants at negotiated rates. Electricity rates are generally a function of the customers’ current and estimated future electricity pricing available from the grid. As owner or lessee of the power plants, the Company is responsible for all operating costs necessary to maintain, monitor and repair the power plants. Under certain agreements, the Company is also responsible for procuring fuel, generally natural gas or biogas, to run the power plants. In addition, under the terms of some of the PPAs, the Company may be subject to a performance penalty if the Company does not meet certain performance requirements.

Project Fuel Exposure

Certain of our PPAs for project assets in our generation operating portfolio expose us to fluctuating fuel price risks as well as the risk of being unable to procure the required amounts of fuel and the lack of alternative available fuel sources. We seek to mitigate our fuel risk using strategies including: (i) fuel cost reimbursement mechanisms in our PPAs to allow for pass through of fuel costs (full or partial) where possible, which we have done with our 14.9 MW operating project in Bridgeport, CT; (ii) procuring fuel under fixed price physical supply contracts with investment grade counterparties, which we have done for twenty years for our Tulare BioMAT project, the initial seven years of the eighteen year PPA for our LIPA Yaphank Project (through September 2028), six years of the twenty year PPA for our 14.0 MW and 2.8 MW Derby Projects (through October 2029), and the initial two years of the twenty year hydrogen power purchase agreement for our Toyota project (through May of 2025); and (iii) potentially entering into future financial hedges with investment grade counterparties to offset potential negative market fluctuations. The Company does not take a fundamental view on natural gas or other commodity pricing and seeks commercially available means to reduce commodity exposure. If the Company is unable to secure fuel on favorable economic terms, it may result in impairment charges.

The Company net settled certain natural gas purchases under previous normal purchase normal sale contract designations during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023 for one contract and the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 for other contracts, which resulted in a change to mark-to-market accounting. The Company recorded a mark-to-market net loss of $2.3 million and $4.2 million associated with the natural gas contract derivatives for the three and six months ended April 30, 2024, respectively. The Company has recorded derivative assets within other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, which had an estimated fair value of $2.4 million and $4.1 million as of April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively. The Company has recorded derivative liabilities within long-term debt and other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, which had an estimated fair value of $2.4 million and zero as of April 30, 2024 and October 31, 2023, respectively. The natural gas contract derivatives are classified as Level 2 financial assets/liabilities since the values can be determined based on readily observable inputs for underlying natural gas forward prices.

Other

As of April 30, 2024, the Company had unconditional purchase commitments aggregating $80.4 million for materials, supplies and services in the normal course of business.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company is involved in legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, regulatory proceedings, claims, mediations, arbitrations and litigation, arising out of the ordinary course of its business (“Legal Proceedings”). Although the Company cannot assure the outcome of such Legal Proceedings, management presently believes that the result of such Legal Proceedings, either individually, or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and no material amounts have been accrued in the Company’s consolidated financial statements with respect to these matters.