Sale of Energy Producing Assets and Goodwill Impairment |
12 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 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, we 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 Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2019.
In connection with the asset sales, we 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 we have 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 and we reimburse any shortfall to the purchaser. To the extent actual results are in excess of the minimum threshold, we are entitled to fifty percent of such excess under the agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we received an excess threshold payment of $2,064 and issued shortfall threshold payments aggregating to $474,448 in the year ended December 31, 2019.
The foregoing agreements also contain provisions whereby we have 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. Should we be required to make whole the purchaser under such provisions, we 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. We did not recognize any counterparty contract default costs in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
We are 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. We did not recognize any site decommissioning costs in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
The combined gain on sale of these assets of $1,081,049 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 we believe will be required to pay under the minimum cash flow guarantee described above. In determining the 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 required us 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.
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