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Note 2 - New Accounting Pronouncements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

NOTE 2 — NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

New accounting pronouncements effective in the nine-month period ended September 30, 2019

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This new standard introduced a number of changes and simplified previous guidance, primarily the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases. The new standard retained the distinction between finance leases and operating leases and the classification criteria between the two types remains substantially similar. Also, lessor accounting remained largely unchanged from previous guidance. However, key aspects of the new standard were aligned with the revenue recognition guidance in Topic 606. Additionally, the new standard defined a lease as a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Control over the use of the identified asset means that the customer has both (a) the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and (b) the right to direct the use of the asset. The Company adopted this new standard as of January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective approach and accordingly recognized a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, which was an immaterial amount, with no restatement of comparative information.

In accordance with the new standard, for agreements in which the Company is the lessee, the Company applies a unified accounting model by which it recognizes a right-of-use asset ("ROU") and a lease liability at the commencement date of the lease contract for all the leases in which the Company has a right to control identified assets for a specified period of time. The classification of the lease as a finance lease or an operating lease determines the subsequent accounting for the lease arrangement.

Upon the adoption of the new standard the Company, both as a lessee and as a lessor, chose to apply the following permitted practical expedients:

Not reassess whether any existing contracts are or contain a lease;

Not reassess the classification of leases that commenced before the effective date (for example, all existing leases that were classified as operating leases in accordance with Topic 840 will continue to be classified as operating leases, and all existing leases that were classified as capital leases in accordance with Topic 840 will continue to be classified as finance leases);

Exclude initial direct costs from measurement of the ROU asset at the date of initial application;

Applying the practical expedient (for a lessor) to not separate non-lease components accounted for under Topic 606 from lease components and, instead, to account for each separate lease component and the non-lease components associated with that lease component as a single component. If the non-lease components are the predominant components, the Company will account for the combined component as a single performance obligation entirely in accordance with Topic 606. Otherwise, the combined component will be accounted as an operating lease entirely in accordance with the new standard.

5.

Applying the practical expedient (for a lessee) regarding the recognition and measurement of short-term leases, for leases for a period of up to 12 months from the commencement date. Instead, the company will continue to recognize the lease payments for those leases in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Since the Company elected to apply the practical expedients above, it applied the new standard to all contracts entered into before January 1, 2019 and identified as leases in accordance with Topic 840.

The new significant accounting policies regarding leases that were applied as from January 1, 2019 following the application of the new standard are as follows:

1. Determining whether an arrangement contains a lease

On the inception date of the lease, the Company determines whether the arrangement is a lease or contains a lease, while examining if it conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration.

2. The Company as a lessee

a. Lease classification

At the commencement date, a lease is a finance lease if it meets any one of the criteria below; otherwise the lease is an operating lease:

●

The lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the lessee by the end of the lease term.

●

The lease grants the lessee an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise.

●

The lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset.

●

The present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee that is not already reflected in the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset.

●

The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature that it is expected to have no alternative use to the lessor at the end of lease term.

Leased assets and lease liabilities - initial recognition

Upon initial recognition, the Company recognizes a liability at the present value of the lease payments to be made over the lease term, and concurrently recognizes a ROU asset at the same amount of the liability, adjusted for any prepaid or accrued lease payments, plus initial direct costs incurred in respect of the lease.

Since the interest rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable, the incremental borrowing rate of the Company is used. The subsequent measurement depends of whether the lease is classified as a finance lease or an operating lease.

c. The lease term

The lease term is the non-cancellable period of the lease plus periods covered by an extension or termination option if it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option.

d. Subsequent measurement of operating leases

After lease commencement, the Company measures the lease liability at the present value of the remaining lease payments using the discount rate determined at lease commencement (as long as the discount rate hasn’t been updated as a result of a reassessment event).

The Company subsequently measures the ROU asset at the present value of the remaining lease payments, adjusted for the remaining balance of any lease incentives received, any cumulative prepaid or accrued rent if the lease payments are uneven throughout the lease term and any unamortized initial direct costs.

Further, the Company will recognize lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

e. Subsequent measurement of finance leases

After lease commencement, the Company measures the lease liability by increasing the carrying amount to reflect interest on the lease liability and reducing the carrying amount to reflect the lease payments made during the period. The Company shall determine the interest on the lease liability in each period during the lease term as the amount that produces a constant periodic discount rate on the remaining balance of the liability, taking into consideration the reassessment requirements.

After lease commencement, the Company measures the ROU assets at cost less any accumulated amortization and any accumulated impairment losses, taking into consideration the reassessment requirements. The Company amortizes the ROU asset on a straight-line basis, unless another systematic basis better represents the pattern in which the Company expects to consume the ROU asset’s future economic benefits. The ROU asset is amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the useful life of the ROU asset as follows:

	(in years)
Land	1	-	35
Automobiles		5
Building		15

The total periodic cost (the sum of interest and amortization expense) of a finance lease is typically higher in the early periods and lower in the later periods.

f. Variable lease payments:

Variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate

On the commencement date, the lease payments shall include variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate (such as the Consumer Price Index or a market interest rate), initially measured using the index or rate at the commencement date.

The Company does not remeasure the lease liability for changes in future lease payments arising from changes in an index or rate unless the lease liability is remeasured for another reason. Therefore, after initial recognition, such variable lease payments are recognized in profit or loss as they are incurred.

Other variable lease payments

Variable payments that depends on performance or use of the underlying asset are not included in the lease payments. Such variable payments are recognized in profit or loss in the period in which the event or condition that triggers the payment occurs.

3. The Company as a lessor

At lease commencement, the Company as a lessor classifies leases as either finance or operating leases. Finance leases are further classified as a sales-type lease or as a direct financing lease.

Under an operating lease, the Company recognizes the lease payment as income over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis or as earned.

4. Impact of the new standard

Effects of the initial application of the new standard on the Company's consolidated balance sheets statement as of January 1, 2019:

	According to the previous accounting policy		The change			As presented according to Topic 842
	(Dollars in thousands)

As of January 1, 2019:

Prepaid expenses and other	$	51,441	$	(35,385	)	$	16,056
Deferred financing and lease costs, net		3,242		(1,659	)		1,583
Property, plant and equipment, net		1,959,578		(12,855	)		1,946,723
Operating leases right of use		-		62,244			62,244
Finance leases right of use		-		13,476			13,476

Accounts payable and accrued expenses		116,362		(2,860	)		113,502
Current maturity of operating lease liabilities		-		7,532			7,532
Current maturity of finance lease liabilities		-		2,841			2,841

Other long-term liabilities		16,087		(9,970	)		6,117
Long term portion of operating lease liabilities		-		17,668			17,668
Long term portion of finance lease liabilities		-		10,668			10,668

Retained earnings		422,222		(58	)		422,164

The Operating leases right of use is higher than the related lease liabilities as a result of prepayments of leases, including the Puna lease and deferred financing lease costs.

b) A weighted-average nominal incremental interest rate of 5% and 7% was used to discount future lease payments in the calculation of the lease liabilities in respect of operating leases and in respect of finance leases, respectively.

Derivatives and Hedging

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. The amendments in this update better align an entity’s risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results. To meet that objective, the amendments expand and refine hedge accounting for both nonfinancial and financial risk components and align the recognition and presentation of the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item in the financial statements. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). The amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”). The guidance is effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

New accounting pronouncements effective in future periods

Financial Instruments—Credit Losses

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses—Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” This guidance replaces the current incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The guidance will be effective beginning on January 1, 2020, including interim periods within that year. The Company is currently evaluating the potential effect on its consolidated financial statements.