Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity	3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity	Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity Nature of the Business and Operations American Superconductor Corporation (“AMSC” or the “Company”) was founded on April 9, 1987. The Company is a leading provider of megawatt-scale solutions that lower the cost of wind power and enhance the performance of the power grid. In the wind power market, the Company enables manufacturers to field wind turbines through its advanced engineering, support services and power electronics products. In the power grid market, the Company enables electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit and distribute power through its transmission planning services and power electronics and superconductor-based products. The Company’s wind and power grid products and services provide exceptional reliability, security, efficiency and affordability to its customers. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q. The going concern basis of presentation assumes that the Company will continue operations and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those instructions. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 and the financial position at June 30, 2016. Liquidity The Company has experienced recurring operating losses and as of June 30, 2016, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $938.5 million. In addition, the Company has experienced recurring negative operating cash flows. At June 30, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $35.2 million. Cash used in operations for the three months ended June 30, 2016 was $2.1 million. From April 1, 2011 through the date of this filing, the Company has reduced its global workforce substantially. The Company has taken actions to consolidate certain business operations to reduce facility costs. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had a global workforce of 379 persons. The Company plans to closely monitor its expenses and, if required, expects to further reduce operating costs and capital spending to enhance liquidity. Over the last several years, the Company has entered into several debt and equity financing arrangements in order to enhance liquidity. Since April 1, 2012, the Company has generated aggregate cash flows from financing activities of $69.5 million. This amount includes proceeds from an April 2015 equity offering, which generated net proceeds of approximately $22.3 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. See Note 9, “Debt”, and Note 11 “Stockholders Equity” for further discussion of these financing arrangements. The Company believes that it is in compliance with the covenants and restrictions included in the agreements governing its debt arrangements as of June 30, 2016. In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox Wind Ltd. (“Inox”), which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electric control systems to Inox and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of electrical control systems over the next three to four years. After this initial three to four year period, Inox agreed that the Company will continue as Inox’s preferred supplier and Inox will be required to purchase from the Company a majority of its electric control systems requirements for an additional three-year period. As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Inox has made all of the pre-payments necessary to allow the Company to begin shipping electrical control systems under the supply contract. These agreements are expected to provide a foundation for the business as the Company pursues its longer-term objectives. On March 11, 2016, the Company sold 100% of its minority share investment in Tres Amigas LLC ("Tres Amigas") to an investor for $0.6 million. The Company received $0.3 million according to the terms of the purchase agreement upon closing, which was recorded as a gain during the three months ended March 31, 2016. The final $0.3 million is to be paid when Tres Amigas achieves the earlier of certain agreed-upon financing conditions, which is expected to occur during the third quarter of fiscal 2016. See Note 13, “Minority Investments”, for further information about such investment. The Company believes it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations, capital expenditures and scheduled cash payments under its debt obligations for the next twelve months. The Company’s liquidity is highly dependent on its ability to increase revenues, its ability to control its operating costs, its ability to maintain compliance with the covenants and restrictions on its debt obligations (or obtain waivers from its lender in the event of non-compliance), and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to raise additional capital from other sources or execute on any other means of improving liquidity described above.

Nature of the Business and Operations and Liquidity

Nature of the Business and Operations

American Superconductor Corporation (“AMSC” or the “Company”) was founded on April 9, 1987. The Company is a leading provider of megawatt-scale solutions that lower the cost of wind power and enhance the performance of the power grid. In the wind power market, the Company enables manufacturers to field wind turbines through its advanced engineering, support services and power electronics products. In the power grid market, the Company enables electric utilities and renewable energy project developers to connect, transmit and distribute power through its transmission planning services and power electronics and superconductor-based products. The Company’s wind and power grid products and services provide exceptional reliability, security, efficiency and affordability to its customers.

These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q. The going concern basis of presentation assumes that the Company will continue operations and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those instructions. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 and the financial position at June 30, 2016.

Liquidity

The Company has experienced recurring operating losses and as of June 30, 2016, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $938.5 million. In addition, the Company has experienced recurring negative operating cash flows. At June 30, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $35.2 million. Cash used in operations for the three months ended June 30, 2016 was $2.1 million.

From April 1, 2011 through the date of this filing, the Company has reduced its global workforce substantially. The Company has taken actions to consolidate certain business operations to reduce facility costs. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had a global workforce of 379 persons. The Company plans to closely monitor its expenses and, if required, expects to further reduce operating costs and capital spending to enhance liquidity.

Over the last several years, the Company has entered into several debt and equity financing arrangements in order to enhance liquidity. Since April 1, 2012, the Company has generated aggregate cash flows from financing activities of $69.5 million. This amount includes proceeds from an April 2015 equity offering, which generated net proceeds of approximately $22.3 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. See Note 9, “Debt”, and Note 11 “Stockholders Equity” for further discussion of these financing arrangements. The Company believes that it is in compliance with the covenants and restrictions included in the agreements governing its debt arrangements as of June 30, 2016.

In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox Wind Ltd. (“Inox”), which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electric control systems to Inox and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of electrical control systems over the next three to four years. After this initial three to four year period, Inox agreed that the Company will continue as Inox’s preferred supplier and Inox will be required to purchase from the Company a majority of its electric control systems requirements for an additional three-year period. As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Inox has made all of the pre-payments necessary to allow the Company to begin shipping electrical control systems under the supply contract. These agreements are expected to provide a foundation for the business as the Company pursues its longer-term objectives.

On March 11, 2016, the Company sold 100% of its minority share investment in Tres Amigas LLC ("Tres Amigas") to an investor for $0.6 million. The Company received $0.3 million according to the terms of the purchase agreement upon closing, which was recorded as a gain during the three months ended March 31, 2016. The final $0.3 million is to be paid when Tres Amigas achieves the earlier of certain agreed-upon financing conditions, which is expected to occur during the third quarter of fiscal 2016. See Note 13, “Minority Investments”, for further information about such investment.

The Company believes it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations, capital expenditures and scheduled cash payments under its debt obligations for the next twelve months. The Company’s liquidity is highly dependent on its ability to increase revenues, its ability to control its operating costs, its ability to maintain compliance with the covenants and restrictions on its debt obligations (or obtain waivers from its lender in the event of non-compliance), and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to raise additional capital from other sources or execute on any other means of improving liquidity described above.