Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Legal matters. From time to time, the Company has been, and may again become, involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of its business. The Company is not presently a party to any litigation and is not aware of any pending or threatened litigation against the Company that it believes could have a material adverse effect on its business, operating results, financial condition or cash flows.

Indemnifications. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company makes certain indemnities under which it may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. As of September 30, 2022, the Company did not have any liabilities associated with indemnities.

In addition, the Company indemnifies its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences, subject to certain limitations. The duration of these indemnifications, commitments, and guarantees varies and, in certain cases, is indefinite. The maximum amount of potential future indemnification is unlimited; however, the Company has a director and officer insurance policy that may enable it to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. The Company accrues losses for any known contingent liability, including those that may arise from indemnification provisions, when future payment is probable. No such losses have been recorded to date.

Environmental liabilities. The Company’s operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations adopted by various governmental authorities in the jurisdictions in which it operates. These laws require the Company to investigate and remediate the effects of the release or disposal of materials at its locations. Accordingly, the Company has adopted policies, practices and procedures in the areas of pollution control, occupational health and the production, handling, storage and use of hazardous materials to prevent material environmental or other damage, and to limit the financial liability which could result from such events. Environmental liabilities are recorded when the Company’s liability is probable, and the costs can be reasonably estimated. No environmental liabilities have been recorded as of September 30, 2022.

In June 2021 the Company contracted with a manufacturer in India to build a fractionation and hydrocarbon skid for $10.2 million, the remaining commitment for the contract is $3.5 million as of September 30, 2022.

In February 2022, an incident occurred at one of the anaerobic digesters that is part of NW Iowa RNG that resulted in the accidental discharge of a mixture of water and manure into the environment. We promptly notified the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (the "DNR") and began mitigation work to minimize the impact of the discharge. The DNR has issued a notice of violation in connection with the discharge. This matter was resolved with the DNR in July 2022 through an administrative consent order and damages of $10,000 were assessed.

In April 2022, two separate incidents occurred at two of the anaerobic digesters that are part of NW Iowa RNG that resulted in the accidental discharge of very small amounts of water and manure into the environment. The DNR has issued notices of violation in connection with the two discharges.

There is a possibility that the DNR will initiate an enforcement action with respect to the April 2022, discharges described above that could result in a monetary sanction being levied against Gevo for the accidental discharges. We do not believe that any such monetary sanctions would have a material impact on the financial statements.

Juhl Commitment.

In September 2022, the Company entered into a Development Agreement with Juhl to construct and operate a wind project for the provision of electric energy for the NZ1. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company has committed to pay Juhl a total development charges of $8.6 million, comprised of advanced development fee payments of $0.9 million, certain reimbursable costs of $1.2 million, and $6.5 million upon completion of the project. The Company has paid $0.6 million pursuant to the agreement as of September 30, 2022. The Company is not contractually obligated for the specified development charges until certain milestones are met in future periods, and upon completion of the project.

The Company's investment in Juhl is pledged as a collateral for two commitments related to a purchase of wind electricity for the Luverne Facility, as well as 100% of RCWF's renewable energy credits. Gevo has a commitment to purchase all of RCWF's electricity. The portion not used by the Luverne Facility is charged to the Company at a lower price. The estimated commitments as of September 30, 2022, and thereafter are shown below (in thousands):


Year ending December 31,	Electricity Above Use (estimated)		Renewable Energy Credits
2022 (remaining)	$	117	$	37
2023	474		149
2024	485		149
2025	163		149
2026	—		149
2027 and thereafter	—		1,985
Total commitments	$	1,239	$	2,618