Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Sale of Energy Producing Assets and Goodwill Impairment

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Sale of Energy Producing Assets and Goodwill Impairment
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]  
Sale of Energy Producing Assets and Goodwill Impairment
Sale of Energy Producing Assets and Goodwill Impairment

During the first quarter of 2019, the Company recognized two individual sales of energy producing assets, for a total of eight power purchase agreements, including the associated energy production contracts for total consideration of $7 million, which resulted in a combined gain on sale of assets of $1,081,049 included in the June 30, 2019 accompanying statement of operations.

In connection with the sales, the Company entered into agreements with the purchaser to maintain and operate the assets over the remaining periods of the associated energy production contracts (through August 2033 and January 2034, respectively) in exchange for monthly fees for both maintenance and operation. These agreements contain provisions whereby the Company has guaranteed to the purchaser a minimum level or threshold of cash flows from the associated energy production contracts. Actual results are compared to the minimum threshold bi-annually, with the Company making up any shortfall. To the extent actual results are in excess of the minimum threshold, the Company is entitled to forty percent of such excess under the agreements. As of June 30, 2020, the Company had a $42,489 receivable relating to this arrangement due to timing of payments from customers.
The foregoing agreements also contain provisions whereby the Company has agreed to make whole the purchaser in the event the counterparty to the energy production contract(s) defaults on or otherwise terminates before the stated expiration of the energy production contract. If the Company is required to make whole the purchaser under such provisions, the Company would be entitled to seek recovery from the counterparty to the energy production contract(s) under a similar provision contained in those contracts in respect of early termination.
The Company is also responsible under the agreements for site decommissioning costs, if any, in excess of certain threshold amounts by site. Decommissioning of site assets is performed when, if and as requested by the counterparty to the energy production contract upon termination of the energy production contract.
The combined gain on sale of these assets was determined after deducting from the gross proceeds the remaining net book value of the assets sold and an estimate of the remaining costs to complete installation of certain of the site assets as well as deducting an estimate of amounts which the Company believes it will be required to pay under the minimum cash flow guarantee described above. In determining the combined gain on the sale of these assets, no amount of goodwill assigned to the energy production segment and reporting unit was included as individual sites and related site energy producing assets are not considered businesses. The aggregate of the assets sold represents a significant portion of the energy production segment and reporting unit’s assets and cash flows which is the basis for determination of the fair value of the energy production reporting unit as used for goodwill impairment determinations. Accordingly, the sale of these assets caused the Company to assess the impact of the sales on the valuation of remaining goodwill assigned to the energy production reporting unit. That assessment included a determination of whether the remaining carrying value of the energy production reporting unit including goodwill exceeded its fair value. Following a goodwill impairment charge in 2018 which reduced the carrying value of the energy production reporting unit including goodwill to fair value based on discounted cash flows, exclusion of the discounted cash flows related to the assets sold resulted in impairment of the remaining goodwill assigned to the energy production reporting unit in an amount proportionate to the discounted cash flows related to the assets sold to the total discounted cash flows of the energy production reporting unit before the sales. The goodwill impairment as a result of the sales and recognized in the first quarter of 2019 totaled approximately $3.7 million, reducing the remaining carrying value of the energy production reporting unit, including goodwill to the discounted cash flow of the remaining sites or fair value.