1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2014 |
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies Policies | |
Description of Business | Description of Business – VIASPACE Inc. (“we”, “us”, “VIASPACE”, or the “Company”) was founded in July 1998. Its business involves renewable energy and is based on biomass, in particular our license to a dedicated energy crop with the trademark “Giant King® Grass” (“GKG”). Through a sublicense for GKG we obtained from VIASPACE Green Energy Inc. (“VGE”), we are able to commercialize GKG throughout the world, except for the People’s Republic of China (“China”) and the Republic of China (“Taiwan”). |
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GKG can be burned in 100% biomass power plants to generate electricity; made into pellets that can be burned together with coal to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants; generate bio methane through anaerobic digestion, and can be used as a feedstock for low carbon liquid biofuels for transportation, biochemicals and bio plastics. Cellulosic ethanol, bio butanol and other liquid cellulosic biofuels, do not use corn or other food sources as feedstock. GKG can also be used as animal feed. GKG and other plants absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. When they are burned, they release the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, but it is the same carbon dioxide that was removed from the atmosphere, and so this process is carbon neutral. Small amounts of fossil fuel are used by the farm equipment, transportation of GKG and fertilizer, so that the overall process of growing and burning GKG probably has some net carbon dioxide emissions, but much lower emissions than burning coal or other fossil fuels directly to create the same amount of energy. GKG has been independently tested by customers and been shown to have excellent energy content, high bio methane production, and the cellulosic sugar content needed for biofuels and biochemicals. |
Going Concern | Going Concern – The Company has incurred significant losses from operations, resulting in an accumulated deficit of $50,241,000. The Company expects such losses to continue. However, on September 30, 2012, as discussed in Note 4, the Company entered into a Loan Agreement with Dr. Kevin Schewe, a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, whereby Dr. Schewe agreed to fund the Company up to $1,000,000 over a five year period in accordance with such agreement. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had remaining availability under the note of $393,000. The Company expects loans from Dr. Schewe and revenue generated from future contracts using the sublicense it has for Giant King Grass to fund operations for the foreseeable future. However no assurance can be given that Dr. Schewe will continue to fund the Company or that contracts will be obtained in the future, or if they are obtained, that they will be profitable. Accordingly, there continues to be substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any other adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties. |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation – The accompanying audited financial statements of the Company were prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) for financial information and with Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Certain reclassifications were made to the December 31, 2013 financial statements to conform to the December 31, 2014 financial statement presentation. |
Use of Estimates in the Preparation of the Financial Statements | Use of Estimates in the Preparation of the Financial Statements – The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with US GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
Cash and cash equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents – The Company considers all highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2014 or 2013. |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes – Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability approach, where deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. |
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The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes using a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining whether it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. An uncertain tax position is considered effectively settled on completion of an examination by a taxing authority if certain other conditions are satisfied. Should the Company incur interest and penalties relating to tax uncertainties, such amounts would be classified as a component of interest expense, net and other income (expense), net, respectively. |
Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition – The Company has two revenue models for GKG: 1. grass plantation integrated with a power plant or processing facility such as a pellet mill under company or joint venture control, and 2. contract plantation establishment, support and licensing for a customer that owns and operates the plantation and power plant. During 2014 and 2013, the Company has not recognized revenues under either of these revenue models. |
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With regard to revenue recognition in connection with agreements that include multiple deliverables, management reviews the relevant terms of the agreements and determines whether such deliverables should be accounted for as a single unit of accounting in accordance with FASB ASC 605-25, Multiple-Element Arrangements. If it is determined that the items do not have stand-alone value, then such deliverables are accounted for as a single unit of accounting and any payments received pursuant to such agreement, including any upfront or development milestone payments and any payments received for support services, will be deferred and included in deferred revenue within our balance sheet until such time as management can estimate when all of such deliverables will be delivered, if ever. Management reviews and reevaluates such conclusions as each item in the arrangement is delivered and circumstances of the development arrangement change. |
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For the year ending December 31, 2014 and 2013, revenue includes amounts earned through consulting agreements and collaborative agreements for the joint operation of test plots to establish that GKG grows well in the area and optimal agronomic practices are developed. Revenue earned from collaborative agreements is comprised of negotiated payments for the operations of the test plots. Deferred revenue represents payments received which are related to future performance. |
Major Customers | Major Customers – A relatively small number of customers account for a significant percentage of the Company’s sales. Five customers represented 87% of revenues for the year ending December 31, 2014. |
Stock Based Compensation | Stock Based Compensation – VIASPACE has a stock-based compensation plan. The Company has adopted the accounting and disclosure provisions of “Share-Based Payments”, codified in FASB ASC Topic 718, using the modified prospective application transition method. The Company accounts for equity instruments issued to consultants and vendors in exchange for goods and services in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 505-50, “Accounting for Equity Instruments that are Issued to Other than Employees for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling Goods or Services” and “Accounting Recognition for Certain Transactions Involving Equity Instruments Granted to Other than Employees”. The measurement date for the fair value of the equity instruments issued is determined at the earlier of: (i) the date at which a commitment for performance by the consultant or vendor is reached or (ii) the date at which the consultant or vendor's performance is complete. In the case of equity instruments issued to consultants, the fair value of the equity instrument is recognized over the term of the consulting agreement. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 505-50, an asset acquired for the issuance of fully vested, non-forfeitable equity instruments should not be presented or classified as an offset to equity on the grantor's balance sheet once the equity instrument is granted for accounting purposes. Accordingly, the Company records the fair value of the fully vested, non-forfeitable common stock issued for future consulting services as prepaid expenses in its balance sheet. |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments | Fair Value of Financial Instruments – Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. |
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Under the provisions of the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), there are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value: |
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Level 1. Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. The Company had no Level 1 assets or liabilities during any period presented. |
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Level 2. Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions (less active markets), or model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable or can be derived principally from or corroborated with observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. The Company had no Level 2 assets or liabilities during any period presented. |
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Level 3. Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of assets or liabilities. The Company had no Level 3 assets or liabilities during any period presented. |
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The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses, trade payables and accrued expenses, payables to related parties and deferred revenue approximates fair value due to the short period of time to maturity. |
Net Income (Loss) Per Share | Net Income (Loss) Per Share – The Company computes net loss per share in accordance with “Earnings per Share”, codified in FASB ASC Topic 260. Under the provisions of this topic, basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss available to common shareholders for the period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. |
Research and Development | Research and Development – The Company did not record any research and development activities in 2014 or 2013. If we do in the future, it will be expensed as incurred. |
Joint Venture | Joint Venture - The Company entered into a joint venture with Corporacion Agricola, S.A. (“Agricorp”), a Nicaragua company, and formed Energia Reino Verde, S.A. (“ERV”) on January 30, 2014. The Company was granted an equity interest of 50% of outstanding shares of ERV for $0 on December 9, 2014. At December 31, 2014, the net assets of ERV were immaterial. The Company has accounted for their investment under the equity method and at December 31, 2014, the investment was recorded at $0. Future plans are that ERV will own and operate a 12 MW biomass power plant that will be co-located with the 834 hectare (2,060 acre) Giant King® Grass plantation project in Nicaragua. |
Recent Accounting Standards | Recent Accounting Standards - In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance on the recognition of revenue. The guidance states that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Our adoption begins with the first fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2017. Early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this accounting standard update on our results of operations or financial position. |
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In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40), Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entities Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (ASU 2014-15). The guidance in ASU 2014-15 sets forth management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern as well as required disclosures. ASU 2014-15 indicates that, when preparing financial statements for interim and annual financial statements, management should evaluate whether conditions or events, in the aggregate, raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern for one year from the date the financial statements are issued or are available to be issued. This evaluation should include consideration of conditions and events that are either known or are reasonably knowable at the date the financial statements are issued or are available to be issued, as well as whether it is probable that management's plans to address the substantial doubt will be implemented and, if so, whether it is probable that the plans will alleviate the substantial doubt. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods and annual periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. |
Subsequent Events | Subsequent Events – Management evaluates, as of each reporting period, events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date through the date that the financial statements are issued for either disclosure or adjustment to the financial results. The Company has evaluated subsequent events up through the date of the filing of this report with the Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 10. |