Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Long-Term Debt

v3.5.0.2
Long-Term Debt
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Long-term Debt
LONG-TERM DEBT
Variable-Rate Construction and Term Loans
In September 2015, the Company entered into a credit and guaranty agreement for use in providing non-recourse financing for certain of its solar-PV projects currently under construction. The credit and guaranty agreement provides for a $20,746 construction-to-term loan credit facility and bears interest at a variable rate. The term loan matures on March 30, 2023. On March 30, 2016, the construction loan was converted to a term loan. At December 31, 2015, $17,663 was outstanding under the construction loan. At September 30, 2016, $20,572 was outstanding under the term loan. The variable rate for this loan at September 30, 2016 was 3.34%.
In August 2016, the Company entered into a credit and guaranty agreement with two banks for use in providing limited recourse financing for certain of its solar PV projects in operation. The credit and guaranty agreement provides for a $6,358 Canada dollar ($4,837 converted as of September 30, 2016) term loan credit facility and bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.95%. At September 30, 2016, $4,767 was outstanding under the term loan.
Senior Secured Credit Facility - Revolver and Term Loan
On June 30, 2015, the Company entered into a third amended and restated bank credit facility with two banks. The new credit facility replaces and extended the Company’s existing credit facility, which was scheduled to expire in accordance with its terms on June 30, 2016. The revolving credit facility matures on June 30, 2020 and the term loan facility matures on June 30, 2018, when all amounts will be due and payable in full. The Company expects to use the new credit facility for general corporate purposes of the Company and its subsidiaries, including permitted acquisitions, refinancing of existing indebtedness and working capital. In July 2016, the Company entered into an amendment to the third amended and restated bank credit facility. Under this amendment, the requirement of the total funded debt to EBITDA ratio was amended as described below.
The credit facility consists of a $60,000 revolving credit facility and a $17,143 term loan. The amount of the term loan represents the amount outstanding under the Company’s existing term loan at closing. The revolving credit facility may be increased by up to an additional $25,000 at the Company’s option if lenders are willing to provide such increased commitments, subject to certain conditions. Up to $20,000 of the revolving credit facility may be borrowed in Canadian dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling. The Company is the sole borrower under the credit facility. The obligations under the credit facility are guaranteed by certain of the Company’s direct and indirect wholly owned domestic subsidiaries and are secured by a pledge of all of the Company’s and such subsidiary guarantors’ assets, other than the equity interests of certain subsidiaries and assets held in non-core subsidiaries (as defined in the agreement). At September 30, 2016, there were $18,733 amounts outstanding under the revolving credit facility and $10,000 outstanding under the term loan. At December 31, 2015, there was $11,300 outstanding under the revolving credit facility and $14,285 outstanding under the term loan.
The interest rate for borrowings under the credit facility is based on, at the Company’s option, either (1) a base rate equal to a margin of 0.50% or 0.25%, depending on the Company’s ratio of Total Funded Debt to EBITDA (each as defined in the agreement), over the highest of (a) the federal funds effective rate, plus 0.50%, (b) Bank of America’s prime rate and (c) a rate based on the London interbank deposit rate (“LIBOR”) plus 1.50%, or (2) the one-, two- three- or six-month LIBOR plus a margin of 2.00% or 1.75%, depending on the Company’s ratio of Total Funded Debt to EBITDA. A commitment fee of 0.375% is payable quarterly on the undrawn portion of the revolving credit facility. At September 30, 2016, the interest rate for borrowings under the revolving credit facility was 3.75% and interest rate for borrowings under the term loan was 2.59%.
The revolving credit facility does not require amortization of principal. The term loan requires quarterly principal payments of $1,429, with the balance due at maturity. All borrowings may be paid before maturity in whole or in part at the Company’s option without penalty or premium, other than reimbursement of any breakage and deployment costs in the case of LIBOR borrowings.
The credit facility limits the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: incur additional indebtedness; incur liens or guarantee obligations; merge, liquidate or dispose of assets; make acquisitions or other investments; enter into hedging agreements; pay dividends and make other distributions and engage in transactions with affiliates, except in the ordinary course of business on an arms’ length basis.
Under the credit facility, the Company and its subsidiaries may not invest cash or property in, or loan to, the Company’s non-core subsidiaries in aggregate amounts exceeding 49% of the Company’s consolidated stockholders’ equity. In addition, under the credit facility, the Company and its core subsidiaries must maintain the following financial covenants:
 
 
a ratio of total funded debt to EBITDA of:
 
 
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less than 2.00 to 1.0 as of the end of each fiscal quarter ending on or before June 30, 2016;
 
 
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less than 2.75 to 1.0 as of the end of each fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2016, December 31, 2016, March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017; and
 
 
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less than 2.00 to 1.0 as of the end of each fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2017 and thereafter; and
 
 
a debt service coverage ratio (as defined in the agreement) of at least 1.5 to 1.0.
Any failure to comply with the financial or other covenants of the credit facility would not only prevent the Company from being able to borrow additional funds, but would constitute a default, permitting the lenders to, among other things, accelerate the amounts outstanding, including all accrued interest and unpaid fees, under the credit facility, to terminate the credit facility, and enforce liens against the collateral.
The credit facility also includes several other customary events of default, including a change in control of the Company, permitting the lenders to accelerate the indebtedness, terminate the credit facility, and enforce liens against the collateral.
For purposes of the Company’s senior secured facility: EBITDA excludes the results of certain renewable energy projects that the Company owns and for which financing from others remains outstanding; total funded debt includes amounts outstanding under both the term loan and revolver portions of the senior secured credit facility plus other indebtedness, but excludes non-recourse indebtedness of project company subsidiaries; and debt service includes principal and interest payments on the indebtedness included in total funded debt other than principal payments on the revolver portion of the facility.
At September 30, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all financial and operational covenants.