RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

NOTE 9 – RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Waste Coal Agreement

The Company is obligated under a Waste Coal Agreement (the “WCA”) to take minimum annual delivery of 200,000 tons of waste coal as long as there is a sufficient quantity of waste coal that meets the Average Quality Characteristics (as defined in the WCA). Under the terms of the WCA, the Company is not charged for the waste coal itself but is charged a $6.07 per ton base handling fee as it is obligated to mine, process, load, and otherwise handle the waste coal for itself and also for other customers of Coal Valley Sales, LLC (“CVS”) from the Russellton site specifically. The Company is also obligated to unload and properly dispose of ash at the Russellton site. The Company is charged a reduced handling fee of $1.00 per ton for any tons in excess of the minimum take of 200,000 tons. The Company is the designated operator at the Russellton site and, therefore, is responsible for complying with all state and federal requirements and regulations.

The Company purchases coal from Coal Valley Properties, LLC, a single-member limited liability company which is entirely owned by one individual who has ownership in Q Power, and from CVS. CVS is a single-member limited liability company which is owned by a coal reclamation partnership of which an owner of Q Power has a direct and an indirect interest in the partnership of 16.26%.

The Company expensed $733,458 and $303,500 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, associated with coal purchases from CVS, which is included in fuel expense in the consolidated statements of operations. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

Fuel Service and Beneficial Use Agreement

The Company has a Fuel Service and Beneficial Use Agreement (“FBUA”) with Northampton Fuel Supply Company, Inc. (“NFS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Power. The Company buys fuel from and sends ash to NFS, for the mutual benefit of both facilities, under the terms and rates established in the FBUA. The FBUA expires December 31, 2023. The Company expensed $3,121,423 and $163,412 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, which is included in fuel expense in the consolidated statements of operations. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

Fuel purchases under these agreements for the years ended December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, were as follows:


	December 31, 2022		December 31, 2021
Coal Purchases:
Northampton Fuel Supply Company, Inc.	$	3,121,423	$	163,412
Coal Valley Sales, LLC	733,458		934,916
Total	$	3,854,881	$	1,098,328

Fuel Management Agreements

Panther Creek Fuel Services LLC

Effective August 1, 2012, the Company entered into the Fuel Management Agreement (the “Fuel Agreement”) with Panther Creek Fuel Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Services LLC which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Power LLC. Under the Fuel Agreement, Panther Creek Fuel Services LLC provides the Company with operations and maintenance services with respect to the Facility. The Company reimburses Panther Creek Energy Services LLC for actual wages and salaries. The Company expensed $1,697,850 and $303,500 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, which is included in operations and maintenance expense in the consolidated statements of operations. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

Scrubgrass Fuel Services LLC

Effective February 1, 2022, the Company entered into the Fuel Management Agreement (the “Scrubgrass Fuel Agreement”) with Scrubgrass Fuel Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Services LLC, which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Power LLC. Under the Scrubgrass Fuel Agreement, Scrubgrass Fuel Services LLC

provides the Company with operations and maintenance services with respect to the Facility. The Company reimburses Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC for actual wages and salaries. The Company expensed $780,410 for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is included in operations and maintenance expense in the consolidated statement of operations. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

O&M Agreements

Olympus Power LLC

On November 2, 2021, Stronghold LLC entered into an Operations, Maintenance and Ancillary Services Agreement (the “Omnibus Services Agreement”) with Olympus Stronghold Services, LLC (“Olympus Stronghold Services”), whereby Olympus Stronghold Services currently provides certain operations and maintenance services to Stronghold LLC and currently employs certain personnel to operate the Panther Creek Plant and the Scrubgrass Plant. Stronghold LLC reimburses Olympus Stronghold Services for those costs incurred by Olympus Stronghold Services and approved by Stronghold LLC in the course of providing services under the Omnibus Services Agreement, including payroll and benefits costs and insurance costs. The material costs incurred by Olympus Stronghold Services shall be approved by Stronghold LLC. From November 2, 2021, until October 1, 2023, Stronghold LLC also agreed to pay Olympus Stronghold Services a management fee at the rate of $1,000,000 per year, payable monthly for services provided at each of the Panther Creek Plant and Scrubgrass Plant, and an additional one-time mobilization fee of $150,000 upon the effective date of the Omnibus Services Agreement, which was deferred until 2023. Effective October 1, 2022, Stronghold LLC began paying Olympus Stronghold Services a management fee for the Panther Creek Plant in the amount of $500,000 per year, payable monthly for services provided at the Panther Creek Plant. This is a reduction of $500,000 from the $1,000,000 per year management fee that the Company was previously scheduled to pay Olympus Stronghold Services. The Company expensed $1,086,649 and $129,735 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, which includes the monthly management fees plus reimbursable costs incurred by Olympus Stronghold Services for payroll, benefits and insurance. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

Panther Creek Energy Services LLC

Effective August 2, 2021, the Company entered into the Operations and Maintenance Agreement (the “O&M Agreement”) with Panther Creek Energy Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Services LLC which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Power LLC. Under the O&M Agreement, Panther Creek Energy Services LLC provides the Company with operations and maintenance services with respect to the Facility. The Company reimburses Panther Creek Energy Services LLC for actual wages and salaries. The Company also agreed to pay a management fee of $175,000 per operating year, which is payable monthly, and is adjusted by the consumer price index on each anniversary of the effective date. The Company expensed $3,877,338 and $1,027,860 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, which includes the monthly management fees plus reimbursable costs incurred by Olympus Stronghold Services for payroll, benefits and insurance. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

In connection with the equity contribution agreement, effective July 9, 2021 (the "Equity Contribution Agreement"), the Company entered into the Amended and Restated Operations and Maintenance Agreement (the “Amended O&M Agreement”) with Panther Creek Energy Services LLC. Under the Amended O&M Agreement, the management fee is $250,000 for the twelve-month period following the effective date and $325,000 per year thereafter. The effective date of the Amended O&M Agreement was the closing date of the Equity Contribution Agreement.

Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC

Effective February 1, 2022, the Company entered into the Operations and Maintenance Agreement (the “Scrubgrass O&M Agreement”) with Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Services LLC which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Olympus Power LLC. Under the Scrubgrass O&M Agreement, Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC provides the Company with operations and maintenance services with respect to the Facility. The Company reimburses Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC for actual wages and salaries. The Company also agreed to pay a management fee of $175,000 per operating year, which is payable monthly, and is adjusted by the consumer price index on each anniversary date of the effective date. The Company expensed $6,476,968 for the year ended December 31, 2022, which includes the monthly management fees plus reimbursable costs incurred by Olympus Stronghold Services for payroll, benefits and insurance. See the composition of the due to related parties balance as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, below.

In connection with the Equity Contribution Agreement effective July 9, 2021, the Company entered into the Amended and Restated Operations and Maintenance Agreement (the “Scrubgrass Amended O&M Agreement”) with Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC. Under the Scrubgrass Amended O&M Agreement, the management fee is $250,000 for the twelve-month period following the effective date and $325,000 per year thereafter. The effective date of the Scrubgrass Amended O&M Agreement was the closing date of the Equity Contribution Agreement.

Effective October 1, 2022, Stronghold LLC no longer pays Olympus Stronghold Services a management fee for the Scrubgrass Plant.

Management Services Agreement

On May 10, 2021, a new management and advisory agreement was entered into between Q Power and William Spence (the "Spence Agreement"). In consideration of consultant’s performance of the services thereunder, Q Power will pay Mr. Spence a fee at the rate of $50,000 per complete calendar month (pro-rated for partial months) that Mr. Spence provides services thereunder, payable in arrears. The previous agreement requiring monthly payments of $25,000 was terminated. Q Power will not be liable for any other payments to Mr. Spence including, but not limited to, any cost or expenses incurred by Mr. Spence in the course of performing his obligations thereunder. Under the Spence Agreement, the Company made total payments of $550,000 and $600,000 for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Amounts due to related parties as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, were as follows:


	December 31, 2022		December 31, 2021
Due to related parties:
Coal Valley Properties, LLC	$	134,452	$	134,452
Q Power LLC	500,000		500,000
Coal Valley Sales, LLC	—		202,334
Panther Creek Energy Services LLC	10,687		94,434
Panther Creek Fuel Services LLC	53,482		47,967
Northampton Generating Fuel Supply Company, Inc.	594,039		321,738
Olympus Power LLC and other subsidiaries	78,302		129,735
Scrubgrass Energy Services LLC	4,087		—
Scrubgrass Fuel Services LLC	—		—
Totals	$	1,375,049	$	1,430,660

Lastly, for the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company paid $69,000 to Beard Aviation LLC for various company-related business trips. There were no such payments during the year ended December 31, 2022. Beard Aviation LLC is owned by Greg Beard, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company.