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Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
May 31, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies

Land Use Commitments

The Partnership is a party to various agreements that provide for payments to landowners for the right to use the land upon which projects under PPAs are located.

The total minimum lease and easement commitments at May 31, 2017 under these land use agreements are as follows:
(in thousands)
2017 (remaining
six months)
 
2018
 
2019
 
2020
 
2021
 
Thereafter
 
Total
Land use payments
$
742

 
$
1,329

 
$
1,686

 
$
1,742

 
$
1,782

 
$
56,249

 
$
63,530


 
Solar Power System Performance Warranty

Lease agreements require the Partnership to undertake a system output performance warranty. The Partnership has recorded in “Accounts payable and other current liabilities” amounts related to these system output performance warranties totaling $0.1 million and $0.2 million as of May 31, 2017 and November 30, 2016, respectively. The Partnership has also recorded in “Other current assets” amounts of $0.1 million and $0.2 million as of May 31, 2017 and November 30, 2016, relating to anticipated performance warranty reimbursements from the O&M provider.

The following table summarizes accrued system output performance warranty activity for the each of three and six months ended May 31, 2017 and May 31, 2016, respectively:
 
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
(in thousands)
May 31, 2017
 
May 31, 2016
 
May 31, 2017
 
May 31, 2016
Balance at the beginning of the period
$
138

 
$
226

 
$
196

 
$
237

Settlements during the period
(22
)
 
(80
)
 
(51
)
 
(156
)
Adjustments during the period
(52
)
 
(6
)
 
(81
)
 
59

Balance at the end of the period
$
64

 
$
140

 
$
64

 
$
140



Asset Retirement Obligations

The Partnership’s AROs are based on estimated third-party costs associated with the decommissioning of the applicable project assets. Revisions to these costs may increase or decrease in the future as a result of changes in regulations, engineering designs and technology, permit modifications, inflation or other factors. Decommissioning activities generally occur over a period of time commencing at the end of the system’s life.

The following table summarizes ARO activity for each of the three and six months ended May 31, 2017 and May 31, 2016, respectively:
 
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
(in thousands)
May 31, 2017
 
May 31, 2016
 
May 31, 2017
 
May 31, 2016
Balance at the beginning of the period
$
14,129

 
$
10,658

 
$
13,448

 
$
9,992

ARO assumed in acquisition

 
981

 
493

 
1,528

Accretion expense
186

 
127

 
357

 
246

Revisions to ARO during the period
4

 
(224
)
 
21

 
(224
)
Balance at the end of the period
$
14,319

 
$
11,542

 
$
14,319

 
$
11,542


 
Legal Proceedings

In the normal course of business, the Partnership may be notified of possible claims or assessments. The Partnership will record a provision for these claims when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss, or a range of the potential loss, can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed regularly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel, and other information or events pertaining to a particular case.

Although the Partnership may, from time to time, be involved in litigation and claims arising out of its operations in the ordinary course of business, the Partnership is not a party to any litigation or governmental or other proceeding that the Partnership believes will have a material adverse impact on its financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

Environmental Contingencies

The Partnership reviews its obligations as they relate to compliance with environmental laws, including site restoration and remediation. During each of the three and six months ended May 31, 2017 and May 31, 2016, there were no known environmental contingencies that required the Partnership to recognize a liability.