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As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2010.
REGISTRATION NO. 333-______
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
06-0853042
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
3 Great Pasture Road
Danbury, Connecticut 06813
(203) 825-6000
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code,
of Registrants Principal Executive Offices)
R. Daniel Brdar
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
FuelCell Energy, Inc.
3 Great Pasture Road
Danbury, Connecticut 06813
(203) 825-6000
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code,
of Agent for Service)
Copies of All Communications to:
Richard A. Krantz, Esq.
Robinson & Cole LLP
1055 Washington Blvd.
Stamford, Connecticut 06901
(203) 462-7500
Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Sale to the Public: From time to time after the
effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or
interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities
offered in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. þ.
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration
statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities
Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the
earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a
post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to
General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of
securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated
filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of large
accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
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Large accelerated filer o
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Accelerated filer þ
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Non-accelerated filer o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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Smaller reporting company o |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Proposed |
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Title of Each Class |
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Amount |
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Maximum Offering |
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Proposed Maximum |
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Amount of |
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of Securities |
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Aggregate Offering |
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Registration |
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to Be Registered |
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Registered(1) |
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Share(2) |
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Price(2) |
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Fee |
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Common Stock $0.0001 par value |
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6,963,788 |
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2.83 |
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19,707,520 |
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1,405 |
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(1)Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this
registration statement shall also cover any additional shares of common stock by reason of
any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or similar transaction or to cover such
additional shares as may hereinafter be offered or issued to prevent dilution resulting from
stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or certain other capital adjustments,
effected without the registrants receipt of consideration, which results in an increase in
the number of outstanding shares of the registrants common stock. |
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(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933 based upon the average of the high
and low prices of the common stock of the Registrant as reported by the Nasdaq Global Market
on May 3, 2010. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be
necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which
specifically states that this Registration Statement shall become effective in accordance with
Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THESE SECURITIES
MAY NOT BE SOLD UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN
OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 5, 2010
PROSPECTUS
6,963,788 Shares of Common Stock
On October 30, 2009, we sold to POSCO Power (the Purchaser) 6,963,788 shares of our common
stock. Under this prospectus, the Purchaser and any of its pledgees, donees, transferees or other
successors-in-interest may offer and resell these shares of our common stock for their own
accounts. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of these shares by the selling
shareholder.
The Purchaser may sell its shares from time to time at fixed prices, at prevailing market
prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices
determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. We have agreed to bear all of the expenses
in connection with the registration and sale of the shares, except for underwriting discounts and
selling commissions.
Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol FCEL. The last
reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on May 3, 2010 was $2.89 per
share.
Our principal executive offices are located at 3 Great Pasture Road, Danbury, Connecticut
06813, and our telephone number is (203) 825-6000.
Investing in our common stock involves risks. See Risk Factors beginning on page 4.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this
prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2010.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS |
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS |
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SUMMARY |
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RISK FACTORS |
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
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DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON
INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES ACT
LIABILITIES |
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LEGAL MATTERS |
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EXPERTS |
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION |
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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE |
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
When used in this report, the words expects, anticipates, estimates, should, will,
could, would, may, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements. Such statements relate to the development and commercialization of FuelCell Energy,
Inc.s and its subsidiaries (FuelCell Energy, Company, we, us and our) fuel cell
technology and products, future funding under government research and development contracts, the
expected cost competitiveness of our technology, and our ability to achieve our sales plans and
cost reduction targets. These and other forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are
subject to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, general risks
associated with product development and manufacturing, changes in the utility regulatory
environment, potential volatility of energy prices, government appropriations, the ability of the
government to terminate its development contracts at any time, rapid technological change,
competition and changes in accounting policies or practices adopted voluntarily or as required by
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, as well as other risks contained
under Item 1A Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31,
2009. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet any of our development or commercialization
schedules, that the government will appropriate the funds anticipated by us under our government
contracts, that the government will not exercise its right to terminate any or all of our
government contracts, that any of our products or technology, once developed, will be commercially
successful, or that we will be able to achieve any other result anticipated in any other
forward-looking statement contained herein or therein. The forward-looking statements contained
herein speak only as of the date of this prospectus. Except for ongoing obligations to disclose
material information under the federal securities laws, we expressly disclaim any obligation or
undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any
change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such
statement is based.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission utilizing a continuous offering process. Under this continuous offering
process, the selling shareholder may, from time to time, sell the securities described in this
prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of
the securities that may be offered by the selling shareholder. Each time the selling shareholder
sells securities, the selling shareholder is required to provide you with this prospectus and, in
certain cases, a prospectus supplement containing more specific information about the selling
shareholder and the terms of the securities being offered. The prospectus supplement may also add,
update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between
the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the
information in that prospectus supplement. You should carefully read both this prospectus and any
prospectus supplement, including documents incorporated by reference herein, together with the
additional information described in the section entitled Where You Can Find More Information.
We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make
any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and
the accompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or
representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the accompanying
prospectus supplement. This prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus do not
constitute an offer to sell or
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the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to
which they relate, nor do this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction
to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You
should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus
supplement is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or
that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the
date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying
prospectus supplement is delivered or securities sold on a later date.
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SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and in the
documents incorporated by reference herein and does not contain all of the information you should
consider in making your investment decision. You should read this summary together with the more
detailed information, including our business information, financial statements and the related
notes, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as the information set forth in any
prospectus supplement. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters discussed in
the section entitled Risk Factors.
FuelCell Energy, Inc.
We are a world leader in the development and production of stationary fuel cells for
commercial, industrial, government and utility customers. Our ultra-clean, high efficiency Direct
FuelCell® power plants are generating power at over 50 locations worldwide. Our products
have generated over 450 million kWh of power using a variety of fuels including renewable
wastewater gas, food and beverage waste, natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels.
Our Company was founded in Connecticut in 1969 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. Our
core fuel cell products (Direct FuelCell® or DFC® Power Plants) offer
higher efficiency stationary power generation for customers. In addition to our commercial
products, we continue to develop our carbonate fuel cells, planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
technology and other fuel cell technology with our own and government research and development
funds.
Our executive offices are located at 3 Great Pasture Road, Danbury, Connecticut 06813. Our
telephone number is (203) 825-6000. We maintain a web site at the following Internet address:
www.fuelcellenergy.com. The information on our web site is not part of this prospectus.
Our proprietary carbonate DFC Power Plants electrochemically (without combustion) produce
electricity directly from readily available hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas and biogas.
Customers buy fuel cells to reduce cost and pollution, and improve power reliability. Electric
generation without combustion significantly reduces harmful pollutants such as NOX, SOX and
particulates. Higher fuel efficiency results in lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major
greenhouse gas, and also results in less fuel needed per kWh of electricity generated and Btu of
heat produced. Greater efficiency reduces customers exposure to volatile fuel costs and minimizes
operating costs. Our fuel cells operate 24/7 providing reliable power to both on-site customers and
for grid-support applications.
Compared to other power generation technologies, our products offer significant advantages
including:
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Near-zero toxic emissions; |
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High fuel efficiency; |
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Ability to site units locally as distributed power generation; |
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Potentially lower cost power generation; |
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Byproduct heat ideal for cogeneration applications; |
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Reliable 24/7 base load power; |
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Quiet operation; and |
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Fuel flexibility. |
Typical customers for our products include manufacturers, mission critical institutions such
as correction facilities and government installations, hotels, natural gas letdown stations and
customers who can use renewable gas for fuel such as breweries, food processors, and wastewater
treatment facilities.
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Our MW-class products are also used to supplement the grid for utility
customers. With increasing demand for renewable and ultra-clean power options and increased
volatility in electric markets, our customers gain control of power generation economics,
reliability, and emissions.
As of October 31, 2009, our DFC Power Plants are protected by 58 U.S. and 74 international
patents and 38 U.S. and 154 international patents under application.
As used in this prospectus, all degrees refer to Fahrenheit (oF), and kilowatt and
megawatt numbers designate nominal or rated capacity of the referenced power plant. As used in
this prospectus, kilowatt (kW) means 1,000 watts; megawatt (MW) means 1,000,000 watts; and
kilowatt hour (kWh) is equal to 1 kW of power supplied to or taken from an electric circuit
steadily for one hour. All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
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The Offering
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Common stock offered
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6,963,788 shares. |
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering
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85,270,755 shares.(1) |
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Risk factors
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Investment in the Shares involves a high degree of risk. You should
carefully consider the risk factors described under the section entitled
Risk Factors, as well as any other information in this prospectus, any
prospectus supplement and any document incorporated herein by reference,
before purchasing any of the Shares. Each of these risk factors could
adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition,
as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. |
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Use of proceeds
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The proceeds from the sale of the shares of our common stock being
offered by the selling shareholder pursuant to this prospectus and any
prospectus supplement, if applicable, net of any brokers fee or
commissions, will belong to the selling shareholder. We will not receive
any of the proceeds from the sale of these shares. See section entitled
Use of Proceeds. |
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Plan of Distribution.
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The shares may be offered and sold from time to time by Purchaser, and
any pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest of the
shares, through public or private transactions at fixed prices, at
prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the
prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of
sale, or at negotiated prices. See section entitled Plan of
Distribution. |
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Nasdaq Global Market symbol
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FCEL. |
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The above outstanding share information is based upon shares of our common
stock outstanding as of April 30, 2010. The above outstanding share information excludes the
following: |
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approximately 5,448,512 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of
64,020 shares of our 5% Series B Cumulative Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock; |
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207,952 shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series 1
preferred shares issued by FuelCell Energy, Ltd., our wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary
(formerly known as FCE Canada, Inc.); |
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5,259,826 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding under
our stock option plans; |
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1,990,672 shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our stock option plans; |
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167,349 shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our employee stock purchase plan; |
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966,178 shares of our common stock available for employee bonuses; |
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6,000,000 shares of our common stock available for future sale; and |
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$150,000,000 of our debt securities, preferred stock, warrants and common stock to
be issued from time to time. |
RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors before making an investment decision.
If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, or results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such cases, the trading price of our
common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
We have incurred losses and anticipate continued losses and negative cash flow.
We have been transitioning from a contract research and development company to a commercial
products developer and manufacturer. As such, we have not been profitable since our fiscal year
ended October 31, 1997. We expect to continue to incur net losses and generate negative cash flow
until we can produce sufficient revenues to cover our costs. We may never become profitable. Even
if we do achieve profitability, we may be unable to sustain or increase our profitability in the
future. For the reasons discussed in more detail below, there are substantial uncertainties
associated with our achieving and sustaining profitability. We have, from time to time, sought
financing in the public markets in order to fund operations. Our future ability to obtain such
financing, if required, could be impaired by a variety of factors, including the price of our
common stock, the current global economic crisis and general market conditions.
Our cost reduction strategy may not succeed or may be significantly delayed, which may result in
our inability to offer our products at competitive prices and may adversely affect our sales.
Our cost reduction strategy is based on the assumption that a significant increase in
production will result in economies of scale. In addition, our cost reduction strategy relies on
advancements in our manufacturing process, global competitive sourcing, engineering design and
technology improvements (including stack life and projected power output). Failure to achieve our
cost reduction targets would have a material adverse effect on our commercialization plans and,
therefore, our business prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Our products compete with products using other energy sources, and if the prices of the
alternative sources are lower than energy sources used by our products, sales of our products
will be adversely affected. Volatility of electricity prices may impact sales of our products in
the markets in which we compete.
Our DFC Power Plants operate using a variety of hydrocarbon fuels, including natural gas,
methanol, diesel, biogas, coal gas, coal mine methane, and propane. If these fuels are not readily
available or if their prices increase such that electricity produced by our products costs more
than electricity provided by other generation sources, our products would be less economically
attractive to potential customers. In addition, we have no control over the prices of several types
of competitive energy sources such as oil, gas or coal as well as local utility electricity costs.
Significant decreases (or short term increases) in the price of these fuels or grid delivered
prices for electricity could also have a material adverse effect on our business because other
generation sources could be more economically attractive to consumers than our products.
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The reduction or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives for alternative
energy technologies, including our fuel cell power plants, could reduce demand for our products,
lead to a reduction in our revenues and adversely impact our operating results.
We believe that the near-term growth of alternative energy technologies, including our fuel
cells, relies on the availability and size of government and economic incentives (including, but
not limited to, the U.S. Federal ITC, the incentive programs in South Korea and the state of
California and state RPS programs). Many of these government incentives expire, phase out over
time, exhaust the allocated funding, or require renewal by the applicable authority. In addition,
these incentive programs could be challenged by utility companies, or for other reasons found to be
unconstitutional, and/or could be reduced or discontinued for other reasons. The reduction,
elimination, or expiration of government subsidies and economic incentives may result in the
diminished economic competitiveness of our power plants to our customers and could materially and
adversely affect the growth of alternative energy technologies, including our fuel cells, as well
as our future operating results.
Financial markets worldwide have been impacted by a credit crisis which may have a material
adverse impact on our Company, our customers and our suppliers.
Financial markets have been impacted by a credit crisis worldwide, affecting both debt and
equity markets. This has substantially limited the amount of financing available to all companies,
including companies with substantially greater resources, better credit ratings and more successful
operating histories than ours. It is impossible to predict how long this crisis will last or how it
will be resolved and it may have a materially adverse affect on us for a number of reasons, such
as:
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The long term nature of our sales cycle often requires long lead times
between order booking and product fulfillment. For this, we often
require substantial cash down payments in advance of delivery. Our
growth strategy assumes that financing will be available for our
customers to provide for such down payments and to pay for our
products. The worldwide credit crisis may delay, cancel or restrict
the construction budgets and funds available to our customers that we
expect to be the ultimate purchasers of our products and services; |
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Projects using our products are, in part, financed by equity investors
interested in tax benefits as well as by the commercial and
governmental debt markets. The recent significant declines in the U.S.
and international stock markets, coupled with the failure of several
large financial institutions, has caused significant uncertainty and
resulted in an increase in the return required by investors in
relation to the risk of such projects. This in turn has increased the
cost of capital to the point where new projects or projects in the
early or planning stages may not receive funding or may have project
delays or cancellations. |
If we, or our customers and suppliers, cannot obtain financing under favorable terms during
the current financial crisis or should the financial crisis worsen, our business may be negatively
impacted.
We have signed product sales contracts, long-term service agreements and power purchase
agreements with customers subject to technology and operating risks as well as market conditions
that may affect our operating results.
Revenues from fuel cell product sales contracts are recognized proportionally as costs are
incurred and assigned to a customer contract by comparing the estimated total manufacture and
installation costs for each contract to the total contract value. Historically, we have not
provided for a contract loss reserve on product sales contracts as products were in their early
stages of development and market acceptance, and the total costs to produce, install and commission
these units could not be reasonably estimated. As a result of a consistent production rate over the
past two fiscal years and installation and commissioning experience for our major product lines,
management now believes that it has sufficient product cost history to reasonably estimate the
total costs of our fuel cell product sales
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contracts. Accordingly, effective November 1, 2009, a
contract loss reserve on product sales contracts is recognized at the time we become aware that
estimated total costs are expected to exceed the contract
sales price. Actual results could vary from initial estimates and reserve estimates will be
updated as we gain further manufacturing and operating experience.
We have contracted under long-term service agreements with certain customers to provide
service on our products over terms ranging from one to 13 years. Under the provisions of these
contracts, we provide services to maintain, monitor, and repair customer power plants to meet
minimum operating levels. Pricing for service contracts is based upon estimates of future costs,
which given the early stage of development could be materially different from actual expenses.
While we have conducted tests to determine the overall life of our products, we have not run our
products over their projected useful life prior to large-scale commercialization. As a result, we
cannot be sure that our products will last to their expected useful life, which could result in
warranty claims and further losses on service contracts.
Under the terms of our Power purchase agreements (PPAs), customers agree to purchase power
from our fuel cell power plants at negotiated rates, generally for periods of five to ten years.
Electricity rates are generally a function of the customers current and future electricity pricing
available from the grid. Revenues are earned and collected under these PPAs as power is produced.
As owner of the power plants in these PPA entities, we are responsible for all operating costs
necessary to maintain, monitor and repair the power plants. Under certain agreements, we are also
responsible for procuring fuel, generally natural gas, to run the power plants. Should electricity
rates decrease or operating costs increase from our original estimates, our results of operations
could be negatively impacted. We have qualified for incentive funding for these projects in
California under the states SGIP and from other government programs. Funds are payable upon
commercial installation and demonstration of the plant and may require return of the funds for
failure of certain performance requirements. Revenue related to these incentive funds is recognized
ratably over the performance period. We are not required to produce minimum amounts of power under
our PPA agreements and we have the right to terminate PPA agreements by giving written notice to
the customer, subject to certain exit costs.
We extend product warranties which could affect our operating results.
We warranty our products for a specific period of time against manufacturing or performance
defects. We accrue for warranty costs on products that have sufficient operating experience to
allow for management to reasonably estimate warranty obligations. For newer products where we have
limited operating experience, warranty costs are currently expensed as incurred. As a result,
operating results could be negatively impacted should there be product manufacturing or performance
defects.
Our products are complex and could contain defects which could reduce sales of those products or
result in claims against us.
We develop complex and evolving products. Despite testing by us, our customers and our
suppliers, issues may be found in existing or new products. This could result in a delay in
recognition or loss of revenues, loss of market share or failure to achieve market acceptance. The
occurrence of defects could also cause us to incur significant warranty, support and repair costs,
could divert the attention of our engineering personnel from our product development efforts, and
could harm our relationships with our customers. The occurrence of these problems could result in
the delay or loss of market acceptance of our products and would likely harm our business. Defects
or performance problems with our products could result in financial or other damages to our
customers. Our customers could also seek and obtain damages from us for their losses. From time to
time, we have been involved in disputes regarding product warranty issues. Although we seek to
limit our liability, a product liability claim brought against us, even if unsuccessful, would
likely be time consuming and could be costly to defend.
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We currently face and will continue to face significant competition.
We compete on the basis of our products reliability, fuel efficiency, environmental
considerations and cost. Technological advances in alternative energy products or improvements in
the electric grid or other sources of power generation, or other fuel cell technologies may
negatively affect the development or sale of some or all of our products or make our products
non-competitive or obsolete prior to commercialization or afterwards. Other companies, some of
which have substantially greater resources than ours, are currently engaged in the development of
products and technologies that are similar to, or may be competitive with, our products and
technologies.
Several companies in the U.S. are involved in fuel cell development, although we believe we
are the only domestic company engaged in significant manufacturing and commercialization of
carbonate fuel cells. Emerging fuel cell technologies (and companies developing them) include PEM
fuel cells (Ballard Power Systems, Inc.; United Technologies Corp. or UTC Power; and Plug Power),
phosphoric acid fuel cells (UTC Power and Samsung Everland) and solid oxide fuel cells (Siemens
Westinghouse Electric Company, General Electric, Delphi, Rolls Royce, Bloom Energy, and
Acumentrics). Each of these competitors has the potential to capture market share in our target
markets.
There are other potential carbonate fuel cell competitors internationally. In Europe, a
company in Italy, Ansaldo Fuel Cells, is actively engaged in carbonate fuel cell development and is
a potential competitor. Fuji Electric has been involved with both PEM and phosphoric acid fuel
cells. In Korea, Doosan Corporation is engaged in carbonate fuel cell development.
Other than fuel cell developers, we must also compete with such companies as Caterpillar,
Cummins, Wartsilla, MTU, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Detroit Diesel, which manufacture more
mature combustion-based equipment, including various engines and turbines, and have
well-established manufacturing, distribution, and operating and cost features. Electrical
efficiency of these products can be competitive with our DFC Power Plants in certain applications.
Significant competition may also come from gas turbine companies like General Electric, Ingersoll
Rand, Solar Turbines and Kawasaki, which have recently made progress in improving fuel efficiency
and reducing pollution in large-size combined cycle natural gas fueled generators. These companies
have also made efforts to extend these advantages to smaller sizes.
We have a large and influential stockholder, which may make it difficult for a third party to
acquire our common stock.
POSCO Power currently owns approximately 13 percent of our outstanding common stock, which
could make it difficult for a third party to acquire our common stock. POSCO Power is also a
licensee of our technology and purchaser of our products. Therefore, it may be in their interests
to possess substantial influence over matters concerning our overall strategy and technological and
commercial development.
We have limited experience manufacturing our products on a commercial basis, which may adversely
affect our planned increases in production capacity and our ability to satisfy customer
requirements.
We have limited experience manufacturing our products on a commercial basis. Our overall
manufacturing process has a production capacity of 70 MW per year. We expect that we will further
increase our manufacturing capacity based on market demand. We cannot be sure that we will be able
to achieve any planned increases in production capacity. Also, as we scale up our production
capacity, we cannot be sure that unplanned failures or other technical problems relating to the
manufacturing process will not occur.
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Even if we are successful in achieving our planned increases in production capacity, we cannot
be sure that we will do so in time to meet our product commercialization schedule or to satisfy the
requirements of our customers. Additionally, we cannot be sure that we will be able to develop
efficient, low-cost manufacturing capabilities and processes (including automation) that will
enable us to meet our cost goals and profitability projections. Our failure to develop advanced
manufacturing capabilities and processes, or meet our cost goals, could have a material adverse
effect on our business prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Unanticipated increases or decreases in business growth may result in adverse financial
consequences for us.
If our business grows more quickly than we anticipate, our existing and planned manufacturing
facilities may become inadequate and we may need to seek out new or additional space, at
considerable cost to us. If our business does not grow as quickly as we expect, our existing and
planned manufacturing facilities would, in part, represent excess capacity for which we may not
recover the cost; in that circumstance, our revenues may be inadequate to support our committed
costs and our planned growth, and our gross margins, and business strategy would be adversely
affected.
Our plans are dependent on market acceptance of our products.
Our plans are dependent upon market acceptance of, as well as enhancements to, our products.
Fuel cell systems represent an emerging market, and we cannot be sure that potential customers will
accept fuel cells as a replacement for traditional power sources. As is typical in a rapidly
evolving industry, demand and market acceptance for recently introduced products and services are
subject to a high level of uncertainty and risk. Since the distributed generation market is still
evolving, it is difficult to predict with certainty the size of the market and its growth rate. The
development of a market for our products may be affected by many factors that are out of our
control, including:
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the cost competitiveness of our fuel cell products; |
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the future costs of natural gas and other fuels used by our fuel cell products; |
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customer reluctance to try a new product; |
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perceptions of the safety of our fuel cell products; |
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the market for distributed generation; |
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local permitting and environmental requirements; and |
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the emergence of newer, more competitive technologies and products. |
If a sufficient market fails to develop or develops more slowly than we anticipate, we may be
unable to recover the losses we will have incurred in the development of our products and may never
achieve profitability.
As we continue to commercialize our products, we intend to continue to develop warranties,
power production guarantees and other terms and conditions relating to our products that will be
acceptable to the marketplace, and continue to develop a service organization that will aid in
servicing our products and obtain self-regulatory certifications, if available, with respect to our
products. Failure to achieve any of these objectives may also slow the development of a sufficient
market for our products and, therefore, have a material adverse effect on our results of operations
and financial condition.
We are substantially dependent on a small number of customers and the loss of any one of these
customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We contract with a small number of customers for the sale of our products and for research and
development contracts. For the three months ended January 31, 2010 and the fiscal years ended
October 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, our top two customers, POSCO Power and the U.S. Department of
Energy and other governmental agencies, accounted for 75 percent, 80 percent, 62 percent and 45
percent, respectively of our total annual consolidated revenue. Our largest strategic partner,
POSCO Power,
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accounted for 63 percent, 64 percent, 46 percent and 13 percent of total revenues, and the DOE
and other governmental agencies accounted for 12 percent, 16 percent, 17 percent and 31 percent of
total revenues for the three months ended January 31, 2010 and the fiscal years ended October 31,
2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
There can be no assurance that we will continue to achieve historical levels of sales of our
products to our largest customers. Even though our customer base is expected to increase and our
revenue streams to diversify, a substantial portion of net revenues could continue to depend on
sales to a limited number of customers. Our agreements with these customers may be cancelled if we
fail to meet certain product specifications or materially breach the agreement, and our customers
may seek to renegotiate the terms of current agreements or renewals. The loss of, or a reduction in
sales to, one or more of our larger customers could have a material adverse effect on our business,
financial condition and results of operations.
Our government research and development contracts are subject to the risk of termination by the
contracting party and we may not realize the full amounts allocated under the contracts due to
the lack of Congressional appropriations.
A portion of our fuel cell revenues have been derived from long-term cooperative agreements
and other contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S.
Navy, and other U.S. government agencies. These agreements are important to the continued
development of our technology and our products.
Generally, our U.S. government research and development contracts are subject to the risk of
termination at the convenience of the contracting agency. Furthermore, these contracts,
irrespective of the amounts allocated by the contracting agency, are subject to annual
Congressional appropriations and the results of government or agency sponsored reviews and audits
of our cost reduction projections and efforts. We can only receive funds under these contracts
ultimately made available to us annually by Congress as a result of the appropriations process.
Accordingly, we cannot be sure whether we will receive the full amounts awarded under our
government research and development or other contracts. Failure to receive the full amounts under
any of our government research and development contracts could materially and adversely affect our
business prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
A negative government audit could result in an adverse adjustment of our revenue and costs and
could result in civil and criminal penalties.
Government agencies, such as the Defense Contract Audit Agency, routinely audit and
investigate government contractors. These agencies review a contractors performance under its
contracts, cost structure, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. If the
agencies determine through these audits or reviews that we improperly allocated costs to specific
contracts, they will not reimburse us for these costs. Therefore, an audit could result in
adjustments to our revenue and costs.
Further, although we have internal controls in place to oversee our government contracts, no
assurance can be given that these controls are sufficient to prevent isolated violations of
applicable laws, regulations and standards. If the agencies determine that we or one of our
subcontractors engaged in improper conduct, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties and
administrative sanctions, payments, fines, and suspension or prohibition from doing business with
the government, any of which could materially affect our results of operations and financial
condition.
The U.S. government has certain rights relating to our intellectual property, including
restricting or taking title to certain patents.
Many of our U.S. patents relating to our fuel cell technology are the result of
government-funded research and development programs. We own all patents resulting from research
funded by our DOE
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contracts awarded to date, based on our small business status when each contract was
awarded. Under current regulations, patents resulting from research funded by government agencies
other than the DOE are owned by us, whether or not we are a small business.
Eleven U.S. patents that we own have resulted from government-funded research and are subject
to the risk of exercise of march-in rights by the government. March-in rights refer to the right
of the U.S. government or a government agency to exercise its non-exclusive, royalty-free,
irrevocable worldwide license to any technology developed under contracts funded by the government
if the contractor fails to continue to develop the technology. These march-in rights permit the
U.S. government to take title to these patents and license the patented technology to third parties
if the contractor fails to utilize the patents. In addition, our DOE-funded research and
development agreements also require us to agree that we will not provide to a foreign entity any
fuel cell technology subject to that agreement unless the fuel cell technology will be
substantially manufactured in the U.S. Accordingly, we could lose some or all of the value of these
patents.
A failure to qualify as a small business could adversely affect our rights to own future
patents under DOE-funded contracts.
Qualifying as a small business under DOE contracts allows us to own the patents that we
develop under DOE contracts. A small business under applicable government regulations generally
consists of no more than 500 employees averaged over a one year period. If we continue to grow, we
will no longer qualify as a small business and no longer own future patents we develop under
future contracts, grants or cooperative agreements funded by the DOE based on such certification,
unless we obtain a patent waiver from the DOE. Should we not obtain a patent waiver and outright
ownership, we would nevertheless retain exclusive rights to any such patents, so long as we
continue to commercialize the technology covered by the patents. As of October 31, 2009, we had a
total of 472 full-time employees; however, we cannot assure you that we will continue to qualify as
a small business in the future.
Our future success and growth is dependent on our distribution strategy.
We cannot assure you that we will enter into distributor relationships that are consistent
with, or sufficient to support, our commercialization plans, and our growth strategy or that these
relationships will be on terms favorable to us. Even if we enter into these types of relationships,
we cannot assure you that the distributors with which we form relationships will focus adequate
resources on selling our products or will be successful in selling them. Some of these distributor
arrangements have or will require that we grant exclusive distribution rights to companies in
defined territories. These exclusive arrangements could result in our being unable to enter into
other arrangements at a time when the distributor with which we form a relationship is not
successful in selling our products or has reduced its commitment to marketing our products. In
addition, certain distributor arrangements include, and some future distributor arrangements may
also include, the issuance of equity and warrants to purchase our equity, which may have an adverse
affect on our stock price. To the extent we enter into distributor relationships, the failure of
these distributors to assist us with the marketing and distribution of our products may adversely
affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We cannot be sure that our original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will
manufacture or package products using our Direct FuelCell components. Our success will largely
depend upon our ability to make our products compatible with the power plant products of OEMs and
the ability of these OEMs to sell their products containing our products. In addition, some OEMs
may need to redesign or modify their existing power plant products to fully incorporate our
products. Accordingly, any integration, design, manufacturing or marketing problems encountered by
OEMs could adversely affect the market for our products and, therefore, our business prospects,
results of operations and financial condition.
We depend on third party suppliers for the development and supply of key raw materials and
components for our products.
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We use various raw materials and components to construct a fuel cell module, including nickel
and stainless steel which are critical to our manufacturing process. We also rely on third-party
suppliers for the balance-of-plant components in our products. Suppliers must undergo a
qualification process, which takes four to twelve months. We continually evaluate new suppliers and
we are currently qualifying several new suppliers. There are a limited number of suppliers for some
of the key components of products. A suppliers failure to develop and supply components in a
timely manner, supply components that meet our quality, quantity or cost requirements, technical
specifications, or our inability to obtain alternative sources of these components on a timely
basis or on terms acceptable to us could harm our ability to manufacture our Direct FuelCell
products. In addition, to the extent the processes that our suppliers use to manufacture components
are proprietary; we may be unable to obtain comparable components from alternative suppliers.
We do not know when or whether we will secure long-term supply relationships with any of our
suppliers or whether such relationships will be on terms that will allow us to achieve our
objectives. Our business prospects, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed
if we fail to secure long-term relationships with entities that will supply the required components
for our Direct FuelCell products.
We depend on our intellectual property, and our failure to protect that intellectual property
could adversely affect our future growth and success.
Failure to protect our existing intellectual property rights may result in the loss of our
exclusivity or the right to use our technologies. If we do not adequately ensure our freedom to use
certain technology, we may have to pay others for rights to use their intellectual property, pay
damages for infringement or misappropriation, or be enjoined from using such intellectual property.
We rely on patent, trade secret, trademark and copyright law to protect our intellectual property.
As of October 31, 2009, we have 58 current U.S. patents and 74 international patents covering our
fuel cell technology. These patents will expire between 2010 and 2028 and have an average remaining
life of 11.2 years.
Some of our intellectual property is not covered by any patent or patent application and
includes trade secrets and other know-how that is not able to be patented, particularly as it
relates to our manufacturing processes and engineering design. In addition, some of our
intellectual property includes technologies and processes that may be similar to the patented
technologies and processes of third parties. If we are found to be infringing third-party patents,
we do not know whether we will be able to obtain licenses to use such patents on acceptable terms,
if at all. Our patent position is subject to complex factual and legal issues that may give rise to
uncertainty as to the validity, scope, and enforceability of a particular patent.
We cannot assure you that any of the U.S. or international patents owned by us or other
patents that third parties license to us will not be invalidated, circumvented, challenged,
rendered unenforceable or licensed to others, or any of our pending or future patent applications
will be issued with the breadth of claim coverage sought by us, if issued at all. In addition,
effective patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable, limited or
not applied for in certain foreign countries.
We also seek to protect our proprietary intellectual property, including intellectual property
that may not be patented or able to be patented, in part by confidentiality agreements and, if
applicable, inventors rights agreements with our subcontractors, vendors, suppliers, consultants,
strategic partners and employees. We cannot assure you that these agreements will not be breached,
that we will have adequate remedies for any breach or that such persons or institutions will not
assert rights to intellectual property arising out of these relationships. Certain of our
intellectual property have been licensed to us on a non-exclusive basis from third parties that may
also license such intellectual property to others, including our competitors. If our licensors are
found to be infringing third-party patents, we do not know whether we will be able to obtain
licenses to use the intellectual property licensed to us on acceptable terms, if at all.
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If necessary or desirable, we may seek extensions of existing licenses or further licenses
under the patents or other intellectual property rights of others. However, we can give no
assurances that we will obtain such extensions or further licenses or that the terms of any offered
licenses will be acceptable to us. The failure to obtain a license from a third party for
intellectual property that we use at present could cause us to incur substantial liabilities, and
to suspend the manufacture or shipment of products or our use of processes requiring the use of
that intellectual property.
While we are not currently engaged in any intellectual property litigation, we could become
subject to lawsuits in which it is alleged that we have infringed the intellectual property rights
of others or commence lawsuits against others who we believe are infringing upon our rights. Our
involvement in intellectual property litigation could result in significant expense to us,
adversely affecting the development of sales of the challenged product or intellectual property and
diverting the efforts of our technical and management personnel, whether or not that litigation is
resolved in our favor.
Our future success will depend on our ability to attract and retain qualified management and
technical personnel.
Our future success is substantially dependent on the continued services and on the performance
of our executive officers and other key management, engineering, scientific, manufacturing and
operating personnel, particularly R. Daniel Brdar, our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the
Board of Directors. The loss of the services of any executive officer, including Mr. Brdar, or
other key management, engineering, scientific, manufacturing and operating personnel, could
materially adversely affect our business. Our ability to achieve our development and
commercialization plans will also depend on our ability to attract and retain additional qualified
management and technical personnel. Recruiting personnel for the fuel cell industry is competitive.
We do not know whether we will be able to attract or retain additional qualified management and
technical personnel. Our inability to attract and retain additional qualified management and
technical personnel, or the departure of key employees, could materially and adversely affect our
development and commercialization plans and, therefore, our business prospects, results of
operations and financial condition.
Our management may be unable to manage rapid growth effectively.
We may rapidly expand our manufacturing capabilities, accelerate the commercialization of our
products and enter a period of rapid growth, which will place a significant strain on our senior
management team and our financial and other resources. Any expansion may expose us to increased
competition, greater overhead, marketing and support costs and other risks associated with the
commercialization of a new product. Our ability to manage rapid growth effectively will require us
to continue to improve our operations, to improve our financial and management information systems
and to train, motivate and manage our employees. Difficulties in effectively managing issues
presented by such a rapid expansion could harm our business prospects, results of operations and
financial condition.
We may be affected by environmental and other governmental regulation.
We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to, among
other things, land use, safe working conditions, handling and disposal of hazardous and potentially
hazardous substances and emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. In addition, it is possible
that industry-specific laws and regulations will be adopted covering matters such as transmission
scheduling, distribution, and the characteristics and quality of our products, including
installation and servicing. These regulations could limit the growth in the use of carbonate fuel
cell products, decrease the acceptance of fuel cells as a commercial product and increase our costs
and, therefore, the price of our products. Accordingly, compliance with existing or future laws and
regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, results of operations
and financial condition.
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Utility companies could impose customer fees or interconnection requirements on our customers
that could make our products less desirable.
Utility companies commonly charge fees to larger, industrial customers for disconnecting from
the electric grid or for having the capacity to use power from the electric grid for back up
purposes. These fees could increase the cost to our customers of using our Direct FuelCell products
and could make our products less desirable, thereby harming our business prospects, results of
operations and financial condition.
Several states have created and adopted, or are in the process of creating, their own
interconnection regulations covering both technical and financial requirements for interconnection
to utility grids. Depending on the complexities of the requirements, installation of our systems
may become burdened with additional costs that might have a negative impact on our ability to sell
systems. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has been working to create an
interconnection standard addressing the technical requirements for distributed generation to
interconnect to utility grids. Many parties are hopeful that this standard will be adopted
nationally to help reduce the barriers to deployment of distributed generation such as fuel cells;
however this standard may not be adopted nationally thereby limiting the commercial prospects and
profitability of our fuel cell systems.
We could be liable for environmental damages resulting from our research, development or
manufacturing operations.
Our business exposes us to the risk of harmful substances escaping into the environment,
resulting in personal injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, and natural
resource damage. Depending on the nature of the claim, our current insurance policies may not
adequately reimburse us for costs incurred in settling environmental damage claims, and in some
instances, we may not be reimbursed at all. Our business is subject to numerous federal, state, and
local laws and regulations that govern environmental protection and human health and safety. We
believe that our businesses are operating in compliance in all material respects with applicable
environmental laws, however these laws and regulations have changed frequently in the past and it
is reasonable to expect additional and more stringent changes in the future.
Our operations may not comply with future laws and regulations and we may be required to make
significant unanticipated capital and operating expenditures. If we fail to comply with applicable
environmental laws and regulations, governmental authorities may seek to impose fines and penalties
on us or to revoke or deny the issuance or renewal of operating permits and private parties may
seek damages from us. Under those circumstances, we might be required to curtail or cease
operations, conduct site remediation or other corrective action, or pay substantial damage claims.
Our products use inherently dangerous, flammable fuels, operate at high temperatures and use
corrosive carbonate material, each of which could subject our business to product liability
claims.
Our business exposes us to potential product liability claims that are inherent in products
that use hydrogen. Our products utilize fuels such as natural gas and convert these fuels
internally to hydrogen that is used by our products to generate electricity. The fuels we use are
combustible and may be toxic. In addition, our Direct FuelCell products operate at high
temperatures and use corrosive carbonate material, which could expose us to potential liability
claims. Although we have comprehensive safety, maintenance, and training programs in place and
follow third-party certification protocols, codes and standards, we cannot guarantee there will not
be accidents. Any accidents involving our products or other hydrogen-using products could
materially impede widespread market acceptance and demand for our products. In addition, we might
be held responsible for damages beyond the scope of our insurance coverage. We also cannot predict
whether we will be able to maintain adequate insurance coverage on acceptable terms.
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We are subject to risks inherent in international operations.
Since we market our products both inside and outside the U.S., our success depends in part, on
our ability to secure international customers and our ability to manufacture products that meet
foreign regulatory and commercial requirements in target markets. Sales to customers located
outside the U.S. accounted for 65 percent, 50 percent and 34 percent of our consolidated revenue in
fiscal 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Sales to customers in Asia represent the majority of our
international sales. We have limited experience developing and manufacturing our products to comply
with the commercial and legal requirements of international markets. In addition, we are subject to
tariff regulations and requirements for export licenses, particularly with respect to the export of
some of our technologies. We face numerous challenges in our international expansion, including
unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, longer
accounts receivable requirements and collections, difficulties in managing international
operations, potentially adverse tax consequences, restrictions on repatriation of earnings and the
burdens of complying with a wide variety of international laws. Any of these factors could
adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Our stock price has been and could remain volatile.
The market price for our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and subject to
extreme price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including the
following, some of which are beyond our control:
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failure to meet our product development and commercialization milestones; |
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variations in our quarterly operating results from the expectations of securities analysts
or investors; |
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downward revisions in securities analysts estimates or changes in general market conditions; |
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announcements of technological innovations or new products or services by us or our
competitors; |
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announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships,
joint ventures or capital commitments; |
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additions or departures of key personnel; |
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investor perception of our industry or our prospects; |
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insider selling or buying; |
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demand for our common stock; and |
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general technological or economic trends. |
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of their stock, many
companies have been the subjects of securities class action litigation. If we became involved in
securities class action litigation in the future, it could result in substantial costs and
diversion of managements attention and resources and could harm our stock price, business
prospects, results of operations and financial condition.
Provisions of Delaware and Connecticut law and of our charter and by-laws may make a takeover
more difficult.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and in Delaware and Connecticut
corporate law may make it difficult and expensive for a third-party to pursue a tender offer,
change in control or takeover attempt that is opposed by our management and board of directors.
Public stockholders who might desire to participate in such a transaction may not have an
opportunity to do so. These anti-takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of
public stockholders to benefit from a change in control or change in our management and board of
directors.
We depend on relationships with strategic partners, and the terms and enforceability of many of
these relationships are not certain.
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We have entered into relationships with strategic partners for design, product development and
distribution of our existing products, and products under development, some of which may not have
been documented by a definitive agreement. The terms and conditions of many of these agreements
allow for termination by the partners. Termination of any of these agreements could adversely
affect our ability to design, develop and distribute these products to the marketplace. We cannot
assure you that we will be able to successfully negotiate and execute definitive agreements with
any of these partners, and failure to do so may effectively terminate the relevant relationship.
Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock could affect the market price of our
common stock.
Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock, or securities convertible or
exchangeable into shares of our common stock, into the public market, including shares of our
common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants, or perceptions that those sales could
occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock and our ability to
raise capital in the future.
The rights of the Series 1 preferred shares and Series B preferred stock could negatively impact
FuelCell.
The terms of the Series 1 preferred shares issued by FuelCell Energy, Ltd. (FCE), our
wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary, provide rights to the holder, Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge), which
could negatively impact us. Quarterly dividends of Cdn.$312,500 accrue on the Series 1 preferred
shares (subject to possible reduction pursuant to the terms of the Series 1 preferred shares). We
have agreed to pay a minimum of Cdn.$500,000 in cash or common stock annually to Enbridge, as long
as Enbridge holds these shares. Interest accrues on cumulative unpaid dividends at an annual rate
of 9 percent, compounded quarterly. All cumulative unpaid dividends must be paid by December 31,
2010. Using an exchange rate of Cdn.$0.93 to U.S.$1.00 (exchange rate on October 31, 2009),
cumulative unpaid dividends and accrued interest on the Series 1 Preferred Shares was $9.8 million
as of October 31, 2009. Subsequent to 2010, FCE will be required to pay an annual dividend of
Cdn.$1.25 million so long as the Series 1 Preferred Shares remain outstanding. We have guaranteed
FCEs dividend obligations under the Series 1 preferred shares.
We are also required to issue common stock to the holder of the Series 1 preferred shares if
and when the holder exercises its conversion rights. The number of shares of common stock that we
may issue upon conversion could be significant and dilutive to our existing stockholders. For
example, assuming the holder of the Series 1 preferred shares exercises its conversion rights after
July 31, 2020 and assuming our common stock price is $3.33 (our common stock closing price on
October 31, 2009) and an exchange rate of Cdn.$0.93 to U.S.$1.00 (exchange rate on October 31,
2009) at the time of conversion, we would be required to issue approximately 7,369,000 shares of
our common stock.
The terms of the Series B preferred stock also provide rights to their holders that could
negatively impact us. Holders of the Series B preferred stock are entitled to receive cumulative
dividends at the rate of $50 per share per year, payable either in cash or in shares of our common
stock. To the extent the dividend is paid in shares, additional issuances could be dilutive to our
existing stockholders and the sale of those shares could have a negative impact on the price of our
common stock. A share of our Series B preferred stock may be converted at any time, at the option
of the holder, into 85.1064 shares of our common stock (which is equivalent to an initial
conversion price of $11.75 per share), plus cash in lieu of fractional shares. Furthermore, the
conversion rate applicable to the Series B preferred stock is subject to adjustment upon the
occurrence of certain events.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to
accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, which could harm our brand and
operating results.
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Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable and accurate
financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. We have devoted significant resources and time to
comply with the internal control over financial reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002. In addition, Section 404 under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires that we assess, and
that our auditors attest to, the design and operating effectiveness of our controls over financial
reporting. Our compliance with the annual internal control report requirement for each fiscal year
will depend on the effectiveness of our financial reporting and data systems and controls. Inferior
internal controls could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information,
which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our stock and our access to capital.
Our results of operations could vary as a result of methods, estimates and judgments we use in
applying our accounting policies.
The methods, estimates and judgments we use in applying our accounting policies have a
significant impact on our results of operations (see Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2009 and Note 1
of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of our Form 10-Q for the three months ended January
31, 2010). Such methods, estimates and judgments are, by their nature, subject to substantial
risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and factors may arise over time that could lead us to
reevaluate our methods, estimates and judgments.
As we gain experience in future periods, management will continue to reevaluate its estimates
for contract losses, warranty and inventory reserves. Changes in those estimates and judgments
could significantly affect our results of operations and financial condition. We may also adopt
changes required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
The proceeds from the sale of the shares of our common stock being offered by POSCO Power
pursuant to this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, if applicable, net of any brokers fee
or commissions, will belong to the selling shareholder. Accordingly, we will not receive any of the
proceeds from the sale of these shares.
SELLING SHAREHOLDER
The selling shareholder, POSCO Power, with a business address of POSTEEL Tower,
20th Floor, 735-3 Yeoksam-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea, beneficially owned 10,786,418
shares of our common stock prior to this offering. It is offering 6,963,788 shares of our common
stock for sale in this offering, and shall beneficially own 3,822,630 shares, or 4.5 percent, of
our common stock after this offering, assuming all shares registered hereunder are sold. Under the
rules of the SEC, beneficial ownership includes shares over which the indicated beneficial owner
exercises voting or investment power. Beneficial ownership is determined under Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities and
including any securities that grant the selling shareholder the right to acquire common stock
within 60 days. We believe that the selling shareholder has sole voting and investment power with
respect to all shares beneficially owned.
The shares may be sold by the selling shareholder, by those persons or entities to whom they
transfer, donate, devise, pledge or distribute their shares or by other successors in interest. The
information regarding shares beneficially owned after this offering assumes the sale of all shares
offered by the selling shareholder. The selling shareholder may sell less than all of the shares
listed in the table. In addition, the shares listed below may be sold pursuant to this prospectus
or in privately negotiated transactions. Accordingly, we cannot estimate the number of shares the
selling shareholder will sell under this prospectus.
The selling shareholder has not held any position or office or had any other material
relationship with us or any of our predecessors or affiliates within the past three years, except
for (i) a ten-year manufacturing and distribution agreement (the 2007 Agreement) that we entered
into with POSCO Power on February 20, 2007, (ii) a Stack Technology Transfer and License Agreement
(the 2009 Agreement) that we entered into with POSCO Power on October 27, 2009 and (iii) ordinary
course sales contracts to purchase our power plants, modules and components. The 2007 Agreement
provided for us to receive a 4.1 percent royalty on sales made by POSCO Power payable in a
combination of cash and common stock. The 2009 Agreement provided for an upfront license fee of
$10.0 million as well as an ongoing royalty, initially set at 4.1 percent of the revenues generated
by sales of the fuel cell stack modules manufactured and sourced by POSCO Power.
We agreed to file a registration statement to register the resale of the shares. We have also
agreed to prepare and file all amendments and supplements necessary to keep the registration
statement effective until the earlier of (i) the date on which the selling shareholder may resell
all the shares covered by the registration statement without registration pursuant to Rule 144
under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto and (ii) the date on which the selling
shareholder has sold all the shares covered by the registration statement.
17
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Background
We agreed, pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement by and between POSCO Power and us,
dated June 9, 2009, to file a registration statement to register the resale of the shares of our
common stock that have been transferred to POSCO Power.
General
The selling shareholder, which as used in this prospectus includes donees, pledgees,
transferees or other successors-in-interest selling the shares of our common stock registered
hereunder, may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of the shares
on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private
transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of
sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of
sale, or at negotiated prices.
The selling shareholder may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of the
shares:
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ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits
purchasers; |
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block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may
position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
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purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
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an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
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privately negotiated transactions; |
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short sales effected after the date the registration statement of which this prospectus is
a part is declared effective by the SEC; |
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through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through
an options exchange or otherwise; |
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agreement between broker-dealers and the selling shareholder to sell a specified number of
the shares at a stipulated price per share; and |
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a combination of any such methods of sale. |
The selling shareholder may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or
all of the shares owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured
obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares, from time to time,
under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other
applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling shareholder to include the
pledgee, transferee or other successors-in-interest as selling shareholder under this prospectus.
The selling shareholder also may transfer the shares in other circumstances, in which case the
transferees, pledgees or other successors-in-interest will be the selling beneficial owners for
purposes of this prospectus.
18
In connection with the sale of the shares, the selling shareholder may enter into hedging
transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short
sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling
shareholder may also sell shares short and deliver shares to close out their short positions, or
loan or pledge the shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling
shareholder may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial
institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities that require the delivery to such
broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares
such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as
supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
The aggregate proceeds to the selling shareholder from the sale of the shares offered by them
will be the purchase price of the shares less discounts or commissions, if any. The selling
shareholder reserves the right to accept and, together with their agents from time to time, to
reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of shares to be made directly or through agents.
We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.
The selling shareholder also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market
transactions in reliance on Rule 144 under the Securities Act, provided that they meet the criteria
and conform to the requirements of that rule.
The selling shareholder and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the
sale of the shares or interests therein may be deemed underwriters within the meaning of
Section 2(11) of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit the selling
shareholder earns on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under
the Securities Act. If the selling shareholder is an underwriter within the meaning of
Section 2(11) of the Securities Act, it will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of
the Securities Act. We are not aware of any underwriting plan or agreement, underwriters or
dealers compensation, or passive market making or stabilizing transactions involving the purchase
or distribution of the shares registered in this prospectus.
To the extent required, the shares to be sold, the name of the selling shareholder, the
respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agents, dealers or
underwriters, any applicable commissions or any discounts with respect to a particular offer will
be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or a post-effective amendment to the
registration statement that includes this prospectus, or, if appropriate, a filing pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act).
In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the shares may be
sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in
some states the shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale or an
exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.
We have advised the selling shareholder that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under
the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling
shareholder and their affiliates. In addition, to the extent applicable, we will make copies of
this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling
shareholder for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities
Act. The selling shareholder may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions
involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under
the Securities Act.
We have agreed to indemnify the selling shareholder, and the selling shareholder has agreed to
indemnify for us, to the fullest extent permitted by law, against liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the
shares offered by this prospectus.
19
We have agreed with the selling shareholder to keep the registration statement of which this
prospectus constitutes a part effective until the earlier of:
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such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been disposed of pursuant to
and in accordance with the registration statement, and |
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the date on which the shares may be sold pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act. |
We have agreed to bear all of the expenses in connection with the registration and sale of the
shares, except for underwriting discounts and selling commissions.
DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION
FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES
Our certificate of incorporation provides that none of our directors will be personally liable
to us or our shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except
to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the
Delaware General Corporation Law. Our by-laws provide for indemnification of our officers and
directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Insofar as indemnification for
liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling
persons of FuelCell pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or applicable law, or
otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is
therefore unenforceable.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the Shares offered hereby has been passed upon for us by Robinson & Cole LLP,
Stamford, Connecticut.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of FuelCell Energy, Inc. and subsidiaries as of October
31, 2009 and 2008, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended October 31, 2009, and
managements assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of
October 31, 2009 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in
reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated
by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a registration statement on
Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the Shares offered hereby. This prospectus, which
constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth
in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. We have omitted
certain parts of the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC.
For further information about us and the Shares offered hereby, reference is made to the
registration statement and the exhibits and
20
schedules filed therewith. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any
contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not
necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full
text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. A copy
of the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed therewith may be inspected
without charge at the public reference room maintained by the SEC, located at 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, and copies of all or any part of the registration statement may be obtained
from such offices upon the payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference room. The SEC also maintains an
Internet web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information
regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the site is
http://www.sec.gov.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and,
therefore, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information
with the SEC. Such periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available for
inspection and copying at the public reference room and web site of the SEC referred to above. Our
common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market, and you may also inspect and copy our SEC
filings at the offices of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. located at 1735 K
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
You should rely only on the information provided in this prospectus and the registration
statement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. The
Shares are not being offered in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should assume that
the information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the dates of those documents. Our
business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those
dates.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information that we file with it, which means
that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The
information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. Information in this
prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the
date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically
update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference into this registration statement
and prospectus the documents listed below, and any future filings we will make with the SEC under
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
1. |
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Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009; |
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2. |
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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended January 31, 2010 and January
31, 2009 (as amended); |
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3. |
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Our Proxy for our shareholders meeting on March 25, 2010, filed on February 3, 2010 and
February 12, 2010 (as revised); |
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4. |
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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed February 3, February 11, February 17 (as amended), March
12, March 19 (as amended), March 29, 2010 and April 13, 2010 (as amended); and |
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5. |
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The description of our common stock set forth in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed
with the SEC on June 6, 2000, including any amendments or reports filed for the purposes of
updating this description. |
21
We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the
documents incorporated by reference, including exhibits to these documents. You should direct any
requests for documents to FuelCell Energy, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 3 Great
Pasture Road, Danbury, Connecticut 06813, telephone: (203) 825-6000.
22
[FUELCELL ENERGY, INC. LOGO]
6,963,788 Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS
, 2010
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth all expenses payable by us in connection with the offering of the
securities being registered. All such expenses are being borne by us.
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SEC Registration Fee |
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$ |
1,405 |
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Accounting Fees and Expenses* |
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$ |
5,000 |
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Legal Fees and Expenses* |
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$ |
8,000 |
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Miscellaneous Expenses* |
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$ |
5,595 |
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Total* |
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$ |
20,000 |
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Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify
any person, including an officer and director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by
reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such
corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.
The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit
or proceeding, provided such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably
believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of such corporation, and, with respect to
any criminal actions and proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was
unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who
was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or contemplated action
or suit by or in the right of such corporation, under the same conditions, except that no
indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if such person is adjudged to be liable to
such corporation. Where an officer or director of a corporation is successful, on the merits or
otherwise, in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or any claim, issue
or matter herein, the corporation must indemnify such person against the expenses (including
attorneys fees) which such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred in connection
therewith.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that none of our directors will be personally liable
to us or our shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except
to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the
Delaware General Corporation Law.
Our by-laws provide for indemnification of our officers and directors to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law. We also maintain directors and officers liability insurance
policies.
Item 16. Exhibits
The following exhibits are included or incorporated herein by reference:
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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4.1
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Specimen of Common Share Certificate (incorporated by
reference to exhibit of the same number contained in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10K for its fiscal year ended
October 31, 1999) |
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5.1
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Opinion of Robinson & Cole LLP |
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23.1
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
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23.2
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Consent of Robinson & Cole LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
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24.1
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Power of Attorney (included on the signature page hereof) |
Item 17. Undertakings
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
1. To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective
amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the Securities Act);
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date
of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set
forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease
in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not
exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the
estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the
aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the
maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in
the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) above do not apply if the
registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be included in a
post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished
to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule
424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
2. That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such
post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.
3. To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities
being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
4. That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
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(a) |
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each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule
424(b)(3)shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the
date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration
statement; and |
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(b) |
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each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule
424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on
Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or
(x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of
the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the
registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is
first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of
securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule
430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date
an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the
registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement
to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that
time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided,
however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that
is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or
deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus
that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time
of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any
statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was
part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately
prior to such effective date; or |
5. That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act
to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant
undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this
registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the
purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following
communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered
to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of
the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the
undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; (iii) the portion of
any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about
the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned
registrant; and (iv) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the
undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
6. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: (i) for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as
part of the registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities
Act shall be deemed to be part
of the registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and (ii) for the purpose of
determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a
form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities
offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.
7. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrants annual report pursuant to
section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that
time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
8. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the
foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
(other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled
by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it
has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and
has duly caused this registration statement on Form S-3 to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Danbury, State of Connecticut, on May 5,
2010.
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FUELCELL ENERGY, INC.
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By: |
/s/ Joseph G. Mahler
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Joseph G. Mahler |
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Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer |
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Each such person whose signature appears below hereby appoints R. Daniel Brdar and Joseph G.
Mahler, and each of them, each of whom may act without joinder of the other, as his or her true and
lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power and substitution and resubstitution, for him or
her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute in the name and
on behalf of such person any amendment or any post-effective amendment to this Registration
Statement, and any registration statement relating to any offering made in connection with the
offering covered by this Registration Statement that is to be effective on filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every
act and thing appropriate or necessary to be done, as full and for all intents and purposes and he
or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact
and agents or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has
been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
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SIGNATURE |
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TITLE |
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DATE |
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/s/ R. Daniel Brdar
R. Daniel Brdar
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President, Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board of Directors
(Principal Executive Officer)
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April 26, 2010 |
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/s/ Joseph G. Mahler
Joseph G. Mahler
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Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, Corporate Secretary and Treasurer
(Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)
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May 5, 2010 |
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/s/ Richard A. Bromley
Richard A. Bromley
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Director
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April 27, 2010 |
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/s/ James Herbert England
James Herbert England
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Director
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April 26, 2010 |
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SIGNATURE |
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TITLE |
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DATE |
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/s/ James D. Gerson
James D. Gerson
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Director
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April 26, 2010 |
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/s/ Thomas L. Kempner
Thomas L. Kempner
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Director
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April 26, 2010 |
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/s/ William
A. Lawson
William
A. Lawson
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Director
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May 5, 2010 |
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Director
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/s/ John
A. Rolls
John
A. Rolls
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Director
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May 5, 2010 |
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/s/ Togo Dennis West, Jr.
Togo Dennis West, Jr.
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Director
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April 27, 2010 |
INDEX OF EXHIBITS
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Exhibit No. |
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Description |
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4.1
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Specimen of Common Share Certificate (incorporated by
reference to exhibit of the same number contained in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10K for its fiscal year ended
October 31, 1999) |
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5.1
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Opinion of Robinson & Cole LLP |
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23.1
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Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm |
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23.2
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Consent of Robinson & Cole LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
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24.1
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Power of Attorney (included on the signature page hereof) |