require additional resources. Any expansion internationally could subject our business to risks associated with international operations, including:
•
conformity with applicable business customs, including translation into foreign languages and associated expenses;
•
lack of availability of government incentives and subsidies;
•
challenges in arranging, and availability of, financing for our customers;
•
difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations in an environment of diverse culture, laws, and customers, and the increased travel, infrastructure, and legal and compliance costs associated with international operations;
•
installation challenges that we have not encountered before, which may require the development of a unique model for each country;
•
compliance with multiple, potentially conflicting and changing governmental laws, regulations, and permitting processes including environmental, banking, employment, tax, privacy, and data protection laws and regulations such as the EU Data Privacy Directive;
•
compliance with U.S. and foreign anti-bribery laws including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;
•
difficulties in collecting payments in foreign currencies and associated foreign currency exposure; restrictions on repatriation of earnings;
•
compliance with potentially conflicting and changing laws of taxing jurisdictions where we conduct business and compliance with applicable U.S. tax laws as they relate to international operations, the complexity and adverse consequences of these tax laws, and potentially adverse tax consequences due to changes in these tax laws; and
•
regional economic and political conditions.
As a result of these risks, any potential future international expansion efforts that we may undertake may not be successful.
We are subject to cyber security risks. If a cyber security incident occurs, we could suffer information theft, data corruption, operational disruption and our business and results of operations could be harmed.
Our customers, and our industry generally, have become more dependent on digital and connected technologies to conduct business. We depend on digital and connected technologies to monitor our turbines, perform many of our services and to process and record financial and operating data, among other things. We also expect to increase our dependence on these technologies as we expand our EaaS offerings. Ensuring the secure and reliable processing, maintenance and transmission of this data is important to our operations and our customers. As cyber security incidents (including deliberate attacks) have increased in number, scope, and sophistication, energy assets (and related networks) may become the targets of more incidents. Our technologies, systems and networks, and those of our customers, vendors, suppliers and other business partners, may become the target of cyberattacks or information security breaches that could result in the loss or destruction of proprietary and other information, or other disruption of business operations. In addition, while we depend on certain business partners to store certain information regarding our customers and employees, these third parties may be a target of cyberattacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, or misuse of sensitive information. Our recourse against these business partners, if any, may be limited. In addition, we, our customers, vendors, and/or business partners may be unable to detect certain breaches (such as unauthorized surveillance) for an extended period of time. Our systems and controls for protecting against cyber security risks, and those used by our business partners, may be insufficient. The loss, misuse, destruction, unauthorized release, gathering, or monitoring of sensitive information result in significant financial losses, loss of customers and business opportunities, reputation damage, litigation (including any damages awarded), regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, or otherwise adversely affect our