| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
| Dec. 31, 2022 |
| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation | Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation These consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and includes the accounts of the Company and all other entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest: Fortistar Methane 3 LLC (“FM3”), Fortistar Methane 4 LLC, Beacon RNG LLC (“Beacon”) Sunoma Holdings, LLC (“Sunoma”), Emerald RNG LLC (“Emerald”), Sapphire RNG LLC (“Sapphire”), New River LLC (“New River”), Reynolds NRG LLC (“Reynolds”), Central Valley LLC (“Central Valley”), Prince William RNG LLC (“Prince William”), Fortistar Contracting LLC, Fortistar RNG LLC, and OPAL Fuel station services LLC (“Fuel station services”). The Company’s consolidated financial statements include the assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The non-controlling interest attributable to the Company's variable interest entities ("VIE") are presented as a separate component from the Stockholders' (deficit) equity in the consolidated balance sheets and as a non-redeemable non-controlling interests in the consolidated statements of changes in redeemable non-controlling interests, redeemable preferred non-controlling interests and Stockholders' (deficit) equity. |
| Variable Interest Entities | Variable Interest Entities Our policy is to consolidate all entities that we control by ownership of a majority of the outstanding voting stock. In addition, we consolidate entities that meet the definition of a variable interest entity (“VIE”) for which we are the primary beneficiary. The Company applies the VIE model from ASC 810 when the Company has a variable interest in a legal entity not subject to a scope exception and the entity meets any of the five characteristics of a VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is considered to be the party that both possesses the power to direct the activities of the entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and has the obligation to absorb losses or the rights to receive benefits of the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. To the extent a VIE is not consolidated, the Company evaluates its interest for application of the equity method of accounting. Equity method investments are included in the consolidated balance sheets as “Investments in other entities.” We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE upon our initial involvement with the VIE and we reassess whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE on an ongoing basis. Our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE is based upon the facts and circumstances for each VIE and requires judgment. Our considerations in determining the VIE's most significant activities and whether we have power to direct those activities include, but are not limited to, the VIE's purpose and design and the risks passed through to investors, the voting interests of the VIE, management, service and/or other agreements of the VIE, involvement in the VIE's initial design, and the existence of explicit or implicit financial guarantees. If we are the party with the power over the most significant activities, we meet the "power" criteria of the primary beneficiary. If we do not have the power over the most significant activities or we determine that all significant decisions require consent of a third-party, we do not meet the "power" criteria of the primary beneficiary. We assess our variable interests in a VIE both individually and in aggregate to determine whether we have an obligation to absorb losses of or a right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The determination of whether our variable interest is significant to the VIE requires judgment. In determining the significance of our variable interest, we consider the terms, characteristics and size of the variable interests, the design and characteristics of the VIE, our involvement in the VIE, and our market-making activities related to the variable interests. |
| Business Combination, Transaction costs and Earnout Awards | Business Combination The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization as OPAL Fuels was determined to be the accounting acquirer under Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 805, Business Combinations . OPAL HoldCo held a controlling financial interest in OPAL Fuels prior to the closing date. At transaction close, OPAL HoldCo obtained a controlling financial interest in the Company and indirectly retained control over OPAL Fuels through the Company. OPAL HoldCo did not relinquish control over OPAL Fuels during the transaction, instead it affected a transfer of a controlled subsidiary (i.e., OPAL Fuels) to a newly-controlled subsidiary (i.e., OPAL Fuels Inc) and in exchange for issuing Class A common units of OPAL Fuels for the net assets of the Company. As there was no change in control, OPAL Fuels has been determined to be the accounting acquirer. Under this method of accounting, ArcLight is treated as the “acquired” company for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the transaction is treated as the equivalent of OPAL Fuels issuing stock for the net assets of ArcLight, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of ArcLight are stated at historical cost, with no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Results of operations prior to Business Combination are presented as belonging to OPAL Fuels in future reports of the combined entity. The recapitalization had no effect on reported net loss and comprehensive income, cash flows, total assets or members' equity as previously reported. See Note 3. Business Combination , for additional information. The Business Combination resulted in an umbrella partnership corporation (“Up-C”) structure, which is often used by partnerships and limited liability companies (operating as partnerships) undertaking an initial public offering. The Up-C structure allowed OPAL Fuels equity holders to retain their equity ownership in OPAL Fuels, an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and provides potential future tax benefits for the Company when the OPAL Fuels equity holders ultimately redeem their pass-through interests for shares of Class A common stock in OPAL Fuels Inc. |
| Use of estimates | Use of estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. 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 consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates and assumptions of the Company include the residual value of the useful lives of our property, plant and equipment, the fair value of stock-based compensation, asset retirement obligations, the estimated losses on our trade receivables, percentage completion for revenue recognition, incremental borrowing rate for calculating the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, the fair value of the Convertible Note Payable (as defined below), the impairment assessment of goodwill, and the fair value of derivative instruments. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
| Accounting Pronouncements | Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued Leases (Topic 842) requiring lessees to record the assets and liabilities for operating leases on the balance sheet. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. In April 2020, the FASB voted to defer the effective date for Leases for private companies and certain not-for-profit entities for one year. The Company adopted ASC 842 as of January 1, 2022 and evaluated all of its contracts and recorded right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities on its consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. The Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified retrospective transition method of adoption. Under this method, the cumulative effect of applying the new lease standard is recorded with no restatement of any comparative prior periods presented. As provided by ASC 842, the Company elected to record the required cumulative effect adjustments to the opening balance sheet in the period of adoption rather than in the earliest comparative period presented. As a result, prior periods as reported by the Company have not been impacted by the adoption. In connection with its adoption of ASC 842, the Company elected the "package of 3" practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance which are described below in which the Company is: • Allowed not to reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases. • Allowed not to reassess any expired or existing lease classifications. • Allowed not to reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. Additionally, the Company elected the practical expedient allowed under the transition guidance of ASC 842 to not separate the lease and non-lease components related to a lease contract and to account for them as a single lease component for the purposes of the recognition and measurement requirements of ASC 842. The Company elected not to use the practical expedient of hindsight in determining the lease term and in assessing the impairment of the Company's lease right-of-use assets. The Company elected to not to recognize right-of-use assets and related lease liabilities for short term leases with the original lease term of less than 12 months. As required by ASC 842, the Company's disclosures around its leasing activities have been significantly expanded to enable users of our consolidated financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from lease arrangements. Please see Note 9 Leases for additional information. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses, with the objective of providing financial statement users information about the credit risk inherent in an entity’s financial statements as well as to explain management’s estimate of expected credit losses and the changes in the allowance for such losses. This standard is effective for the Company from March 31, 2023. The Company does not expect to have a material impact to its financial statements upon adoption. In June 2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions which states that a contractual restriction on the sale of an equity security is not considered part of the unit of account of the equity security and therefore, is not considered in measuring fair value. The ASU clarifies that an entity cannot, as a separate unit of account, recognize and measure a contractual sale restriction. The ASU requires an entity to disclose (i) the fair value of equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions reflected in the balance sheet (ii) the nature and remaining duration of the restriction and (iii) the circumstances that could cause a lapse in the restriction. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years for public entities and fiscal year beginning December 15, 2024 for all other entities. The Company is currently evaluating the impact on its financial statements of adopting this standard. |
| Short term investments | Short term investments The Company considers highly liquid investments such as time deposits and certificates of deposit with an original maturity greater than three months at the time of purchase to be short term investments. The Short term investments of $64,976 consists of cash received upon closing of the Business Combination invested in money market accounts with maturities ranging between 1 and 12 months as of December 31, 2022. The amounts in these money market accounts are liquid and available for general use. Our short term investments are generally invested in commercial paper issued by highly credit worthy counter parties and government backed treasury bills. Investments are generally not FDIC insured and we take counter party risk on these investments. |
| Derivative warrant liabilities | Derivative warrant liabilitiesThe Company assumed the Public Warrants and Private Warrants upon the completion of the Business Combination. The Company accounted for warrants for shares of the Company's stock that are not indexed to its own stock as liabilities at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet. The warrants were remeasured at each balance sheet date and any change in fair value is recognized in the Company's consolidated statement of operations as part of change in fair value of derivative instruments, net. |
| Redeemable non-controlling interests | Redeemable non-controlling interests Redeemable non-controlling interests represent the portion of OPAL Fuels that the Company controls and consolidates but does not own. The Redeemable non-controlling interest was created as a result of the Business Combination and represents 144,399,037 Class D Units issued by OPAL Fuels to the prior investors. The Company allocates net income or loss attributable to Redeemable non-controlling interest based on weighted average ownership interest during the period. The net income or loss attributable to Redeemable non-controlling interests is reflected in the consolidated statement of operations. |
| Stock-based compensation | Stock-based compensation The Company issues stock-based compensation utilizing both stock options and stock grants. In accordance with ASC 718, Stock Compensation, ("ASC 718"), stock-based compensation is measured at the fair value of the award at the date of grant and recognized over the period of vesting on a straight-line basis using the graded vesting method. The grant-date fair value of stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Please see Note 17. Stock-Based Compensation , for additional information. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. |
| Net income per share | Net income per share The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse recapitalization as OPAL Fuels was determined to be the accounting acquirer under FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations . Accordingly, for accounting purposes, the transaction is treated as the equivalent of OPAL Fuels issuing stock for the net assets of ArcLight, accompanied by a recapitalization. The Company's basic earnings per share of Class A common stock is computed based on the average number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock for the period. The Company's diluted earnings per share includes effects of the Company's outstanding Redeemable non-controlling interests (OPAL Fuels Class B units), Restricted Stock Units, the put option a forward purchase agreement, redeemable preferred non-controlling interests, Sponsor Earnout Awards and OPAL Earnout Awards. |
| Accounts Receivable, Net | Accounts Receivable, NetAccounts receivable represent amounts due from the sale of RNG, natural gas, gas transportation, construction contracts, service contracts, environmental attributes, electricity, capacity, and LFG. The accounts receivable are the net estimate realizable value between the invoiced accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition to determine and estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts. The accounts receivable are the net estimate of the realizable value between the invoiced accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition to determine and estimate the allowance for doubtful accounts. |
| Asset Retirement Obligation | Asset Retirement Obligation The Company accounts for asset retirement obligations in accordance with FASB ASC 410, Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations, which requires entities to record the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period in which it is incurred and when a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The fair value of the estimated asset retirement obligations is recorded as a long-term liability, with a corresponding increase in the carrying amount of the related asset. The discounted asset retirement costs capitalized amount are accreted over the life of the sublease or site lease agreement. Asset retirement obligations are deemed Level 3 fair value measurements as the inputs used to measure the fair value are unobservable. The Company estimates the fair value of asset retirement obligations by calculating the estimated present value of the cost to retire the asset. This estimate requires assumptions and judgments regarding the existence of liabilities, the amount and timing of cash outflows required to settle the liability, inflation factors, credit adjusted discount rates, and consideration of changes in legal, regulatory, environmental, and political environments. In addition, the Company determines the Level 3 fair value measurements based on historical information and current market conditions. |
| Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The Company’s revenue arrangements generally consist of a single performance obligation to transfer goods or services. Revenue from the sale of RNG, CNG and, electricity is recognized by applying the “right to invoice” practical expedient within the accounting guidance for Revenue from Contracts with Customers that allows for the recognition of revenue from performance obligations in the amount of consideration to which there is a right to invoice the customer and when the amount for which there is a right to invoice corresponds directly to the value transferred to the customer. For some public CNG Fueling Stations where there is no contract with the customer, the Company recognizes revenue at the point in time that the customer takes control of the fuel. The Company also performs maintenance services throughout the country. Maintenance consists of monitoring equipment and replacing parts as necessary to ensure optimum performance. Revenue from service agreements is recognized over time as services are provided. Capacity payments fluctuate based on peak times of the year and revenues from capacity payments are recognized monthly as earned. The Company has agreements with two natural gas producers ("Producers") to transport Producers' natural gas using the Company's RNG gathering system. The performance obligation is the delivery of Producers' natural gas to an agreed delivery point on an interstate gas pipeline. The quantity of natural gas transported for the Producers is measured at a certain specified meter. The price is fixed at contracted rates and the Producers pay approximately 30 days after month-end. As such, transportation sales are recognized over time, using the output method to measure progress. The Company provides credit monetization services to customers that own renewable gas generation facilities. The Company recognizes revenue from these services as the credits are minted on behalf of the customer. The Company receives non-cash consideration in the form of RINs or LCFSs for providing these services and recognizes the RINs or LCFSs received as Environmental credits held for sale within current assets based on their estimated fair value at contract inception. When the Company receives RINs or LCFSs as payment for providing credit monetization services, it records the non-cash consideration in inventory based on the fair value of RINs or LCFSs at contract commencement. On November 29, 2021, the Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement with NextEra, a related party, for the environmental attributes generated by the RNG Fuels business. Under this agreement, the Company is committed to sell a minimum of 90% of the environmental attributes generated and will receive net proceeds based on the agreed upon price less a specified discount. A specified volume of environmental attributes sold per quarter will incur a discount fee per environmental attribute in addition to the specified discount. The agreement was effective beginning January 1, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company earned net revenues after discount and fees of $76,920 under this contract which was recorded as part of Revenues - RNG fuel. Sales of environmental attributes such as RINs, RECs, and LCFS are generally recorded as revenue when the certificates related to them are delivered to a buyer. However, the Company may recognize revenue from the sale of such environmental attributes at the time of the related RNG or renewable power sales when the contract provides that title to the environmental attributes transfers at the time of production, the Company's price to the buyer is fixed, and collection of the sales proceeds occurs within 60 days after generation of the renewable power. Management operating fees are earned for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the gas collection system of a landfill site. Revenue is calculated on the volume of per million British thermal units of LFG collected and the megawatt hours ("MWhs") produced at that site. This revenue is recognized when LFG is collected and renewable power is delivered. The Company has various fixed price contracts for the construction of Fueling Stations for customers. Revenues from these contracts, including change orders, are recognized over time, with progress measured by the percentage of costs incurred to date compared to estimated total costs for each contract. This method is used as management considers costs incurred to be the best available measure of progress on these contracts. Costs capitalized to fulfill certain contracts were not material in any of the periods presented. The Company owns Fueling Stations for use by customers under fuel sale agreements. The Company bills these customers at an agreed upon price for each gallon sold and recognizes revenue based on the amounts invoiced in accordance with the "right to invoice" practical expedient. For some public stations where there is no contract with the customer, the Company recognizes revenue at the point-in-time that the customer takes control of the fuel. The Company from time-to-time enters into fuel purchase agreements with customers whereby the Company is contracted to design and build a Fueling Station on the customer's property in exchange for the Company providing CNG/RNG to the customer for a determined number of years. In accordance with the standards of ASC 840, Leases , the Company has concluded these agreements meet the criteria for a lease and are classified as operating leases. Typically, these agreements do not require any minimum consumption amounts and, therefore, no minimum payments. Upon adoption of ASC 842, the Company adopted the practical expedient not to reassess the classification. For additional information on lease revenues earned, please see Note 9. Leases. |
| Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities | Contract Assets Contract assets consist primarily of costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings and retainage receivables. Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings represent unbilled amounts earned and reimbursable under construction contracts and arise when revenues have been recognized but amounts are conditional and have yet to be billed under the terms of the contract. Included in costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings are amounts the Company will collect from customers, changes in contract specifications or design, costs associated with contract change orders in dispute or unapproved as to scope or price, or other customer-related causes of unanticipated contract costs. Amounts become billable according to contract terms, which consider the progress on the contracts as well as achievement of certain milestones and completion of specified units of work. Except for claims, such amounts will be billed over the remaining life of the contract. Contract Liabilities |
| Parts Inventory | Parts Inventory Parts inventory, also referred to as supplies inventory, consists of shop spare parts inventory and construction site parts inventory. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The substantial amount of inventory is identified, tracked and treated as finished goods. An annual review of inventory is performed to identify obsolete items. |
| Capital Spares | Capital Spares Capital spares consist primarily of large replacement parts and components for the RNG facilities and power plants. These parts, which are vital to the continued operation of the RNG facilities and power plants and require a substantial lead time to acquire, are maintained on hand for emergency replacement. Capital spares are recorded at cost and expensed when placed into service as part of a routine maintenance project or capitalized when part of a plant improvement project. |
| Property, Plant and Equipment, net | Property, Plant, and Equipment, net Property, plant, and equipment are recorded at cost, except for the portion related to asset retirement obligations, which are recorded at estimated fair value at the time of inception. Direct costs related to the construction of assets and renewals and betterments that materially improve or extend the life of the assets are capitalized. Additionally, any interest expense incurred on any outstanding construction loans such as interest on our Sunoma loan is capitalized to the specific project. Replacements, maintenance, and repairs that do not improve or extend the life of the respective assets are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows: Plant and equipment 5 - 30 years CNG/RNG fueling stations 10-20 years Construction in progress N/A Buildings 40 years Land N/A Service equipment 5-10 years Leasehold improvements shorter of lease term or useful life Vehicles 7 years Office furniture and equipment 5-7 years Computer software 3 years Other 7 years When plant and equipment are retired or otherwise disposed of, the related cost and accumulated depreciation or amortization is removed, and a gain or loss is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company capitalizes costs related to the development and construction of new projects when there is a significant likelihood that the project will be constructed for its intended use. This is determined based on the attainment of certain milestones, including, but not limited to, the receipt of permits; final negotiation of major contracts including gas rights agreements, gas transportation and engineering, procurement and construction contracts. Costs incurred prior to this time are expensed. Additionally, the Company capitalizes any interest incurred on its generic borrowings during the construction phase until the project becomes operational. |
| Environmental credits held for sale | Environmental credits held for saleRNG inventory relates to storage of an equivalent amount of RNG production from our new RNG facilities during their RIN and LCFS certification period. It is sold to various customers at market prices upon obtaining RIN or LCFS certification. It is recorded at cost and adjusted to its net realizable value at each balance sheet date. |
| Major Maintenance | Major MaintenanceMajor maintenance is a component of maintenance expense and encompasses overhauls of internal combustion engines, gas compressors and electrical generators. Major maintenance is expensed as incurred. |
| Goodwill | GoodwillGoodwill represents the excess of purchase price of an acquisition over the fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination subject to ASC 805, Business Combinations. Goodwill is not amortized, but the potential impairment of goodwill is assessed at least annually and on an interim basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. Accounting rules require that the Company test at least annually, or more frequently when a triggering event occurs that indicates that the fair value of the reporting unit may be below its carrying amount, for possible goodwill impairment in accordance with the provisions of ASC 350-10. The Company performs its annual test in fourth quarter of each year.During 2020, the Company has adopted the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-04, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment. Under this guidance, the Company performed qualitative test for goodwill on Beacon and Trustar for the year ended December 31, 2022. As a result of these tests, the Company determined that the fair value of its reporting unit exceeded its carrying value and, thus, the Company determined that goodwill was not impaired. |
| Intangible Assets | Intangible Assets and Liabilities Identifiable intangible assets consist of three PPAs, one fueling station contract, one transmission/distribution interconnection, and the cost of intellectual property all of which are amortized using the straight-line method over the underlying applicable contract periods or useful lives which range from five |
| Intangible Liabilities | The PPA intangible liabilities are amortized using the straight-line method over their contract life. Amortization related to these intangible liabilities is included in RNG fuel revenue and Renewable power revenue, respectively, in the consolidated statements of operations. |
| Impairment of Long-Lived Assets | Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable. Recoverability of long-lived assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount that the carrying amounts of the assets exceed the fair value of the assets. Assets disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less selling costs. There was no material impairment expense booked for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Fair value is generally determined by considering (i) internally developed discounted cash flows for the asset group, and/or (ii) information available regarding the current market value for such assets. We use our best estimates in making these evaluations and consider various factors, including future pricing and operating costs. However, actual future market prices and project costs could vary from the assumptions used in our estimates and the impact of such variations could be material. |
| Derivative Instruments | Derivative Instruments The Company estimates the fair value of its derivative instruments using available market information in accordance with ASC 820 for fair value measurements and disclosures of derivatives. Derivative instruments are measured at their fair value and recorded as either assets or liabilities unless they qualify for an exemption from derivative accounting measurement such as normal purchases and normal sales. All changes in the fair value of recognized derivatives are recognized currently in earnings. The Company enters into electricity forward sale agreements. Some of these electricity forward sale agreements meet the definition of a derivative but qualify for the normal purchases and normal sales exception from derivative accounting treatment. In accordance with authoritative guidance for derivatives, the Company considers both qualitative and quantitative factors when determining whether a contract qualifies for the normal purchases and normal sales exception. There are two electricity forward sales agreements during 2022 that were recorded under the normal purchases and normal sales exception and, therefore, fair value adjustments were not required for the year ended December 31, 2022. Please see Note 10. Derivative Financial Instruments and fair value measurements for additional information. The Company enters into commodity swap arrangements as economic hedges against market price volatility of Renewable power sales. These commodity swap agreements do not qualify for the normal purchases and normal sales exception and therefore are accounted for as derivatives under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The Company does not designate its derivative instruments to qualify for hedge accounting. Accordingly, these commodity swap agreements are measured at their fair value and recorded as either current or non-current assets or liabilities and any changes in fair value are recorded as part of Revenues in its consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Interest rate swaps In connection with our entry into the Senior Secured Credit Facility, the Company entered into certain interest rate swap agreements. These transactions involved the exchange of fixed and floating rate interest payment obligations without the exchange of the underlying principal amounts. The average annual fixed rate ranged from 2.38% in 2020 to 2.50% in 2022. The Company has accounted for these instruments as economic hedges and has included changes in their fair market value in the consolidated statements of operations. The swaps expired in September 2022. During August 2022, the Company entered into two interest rate swaps for the notional amount of $61,926 of OPAL Term Loan II at a fixed interest rate of 2.47% to hedge the SOFR-based floating interest rate. On August 16, 2022, the Company entered into a swaption for a notional amount of $13,074 with fixed rate of 2.32% with a maturity date of December 30, 2022. The maturity date was extended to March 30, 2023. The Company accounted for the swaption as an economic hedge and included the change in the fair market value in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company may be exposed to credit risk on any of the derivative financial instruments that are in an asset position. Credit risk relates to the risk of loss that the Company would incur because of nonperformance by counterparties pursuant to the terms of their contractual obligations. To mitigate this risk, management monitors counterparty credit exposure on an annual basis and enters into these arrangements with large financial institutions. The necessary credit adjustments have been reflected in the fair value of financial derivative instruments. There are no credit-risk-related contingent features that could be triggered in derivative financial instruments that are in a liability position. The Company enters into interest rate swap contracts with counterparties that allow for net settlement of derivative assets and derivative liabilities. The Company has made an accounting policy election to offset recognized amounts relating to these interest swaps within the consolidated balance sheets. Commodity swap contracts The Company utilizes commodity swap contracts to hedge against the unfavorable price fluctuations in market prices of electricity. The Company does not apply hedge accounting to these contracts. As such, unrealized and realized gain (loss) is recognized as a component of Renewable Power revenues in the consolidated statement of operations and Derivative financial asset — current and non-current in the consolidated balance sheets. These are considered to be Level 2 instruments in the fair value hierarchy. By using commodity swaps, the Company exposes itself to credit risk and market risk. Credit risk is the failure of the counter party to perform under the terms of the swap contract. When the fair value of the swap contract is positive, the counter party owes the Company creating a credit risk. The Company manages the credit risk by entering into contracts with financially sound counter parties. To mitigate this risk, management monitors counterparty credit exposure on an annual basis, and the necessary credit adjustments have been reflected in the fair value of financial derivative instruments. When the fair value of the swap contract is negative, the Company owes the counterparty creating a market risk that the market price is higher than the contract price resulting in the Company not participating in the opportunity to earn higher revenues. |
| Vulnerability Due to Certain Concentrations | Vulnerability Due to Certain Concentrations Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, short term investments, derivative instruments and trade accounts receivable. The Company holds cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at several major financial institutions, much of which exceeds FDIC insured limits. Historically, the Company has not experienced any losses due to such concentration of credit risk. The Company’s temporary cash investments policy is to limit the dollar amount of investments with any one financial institution and monitor the credit ratings of those institutions. While the Company may be exposed to credit losses due to the nonperformance of the holders of its deposits, the Company does not expect the settlement of these transactions to have a material effect on its results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. |
| Income Taxes | Income Taxes As a result of the Business Combination, the Company is the sole managing member of OPAL Fuels. OPAL Fuels is a limited liability company that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and for most applicable state and local income taxes. Any taxable income or loss generated by OPAL Fuels is passed through to and included in the taxable income or loss of its members, including the Company, on a pro-rata basis, subject to applicable tax regulations. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASC Topic 740”), which requires the recognition of tax benefits or expenses on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of its assets and liabilities by applying the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Such net tax effects on temporary differences are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when the Company believes that it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company calculates the interim tax provision in accordance with the provisions of ASC Subtopic 740-270, Income Taxes; Interim Reporting. For interim periods, the Company estimates the annual effective income tax rate and applies the estimated rate to the year-to-date income or loss before income taxes. Payments under Tax Receivable Agreement Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be based on the tax reporting positions that we determine, and the IRS or another tax authority may challenge all or a part of the existing tax basis, tax basis increases, or other tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement, and a court could sustain such challenge. The parties to the Tax Receivable Agreement will not reimburse us for any payments previously made if such tax basis is, or other tax benefits are, subsequently disallowed, except that any excess payments made to a party under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be netted against future payments otherwise to be made under the Tax Receivable Agreement, if any, after the determination of such excess. If we experience a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which includes certain mergers, any plan of liquidation and other forms of business combinations or changes of control) or the Tax Receivable Agreement terminates early (at our election or as a result of a breach, including a breach for our failing to make timely payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for more than three months, except in the case of certain liquidity exceptions), we could be required to make a substantial, immediate lump-sum payment based on the present value of hypothetical future payments that could be required under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The calculation of the hypothetical future payments would be made using certain assumptions and deemed events set forth in the Tax Receivable Agreement, including (i) the sufficiency of taxable income to fully utilize the tax benefits, (ii) any OPAL Fuels Common Units (other than those held by us) outstanding on the termination date are exchanged on the termination date and (iii) the utilization of certain loss carryovers over a certain time period. Our ability to generate net taxable income is subject to substantial uncertainty. Accordingly, as a result of the assumptions, the required lump-sum payment may be significantly in advance of, and could materially exceed, the realized future tax benefits to which the payment relates. |
| Investment in other entities | Investment in other entities Investment in other entities includes the Company’s interests in certain investees which are accounted for under the equity method of accounting as the Company has determined that the investment provides the Company with the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee. The Company’s investments in these nonconsolidated entities are reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at cost. The amounts initially recognized are subsequently adjusted for the impacts of impairment, capitalized interest and Company’s share of earnings (losses) which are recognized as income (loss) from equity method investments in the consolidated statement of operations after adjustment for the effects of any basis differences. Investments are also increased for contributions made to the investee and decreased by distributions from the investee and classified in the statement of cash flows using the cumulative earnings approach. |
| Leases | Leases On January 1, 2022 (the "Adoption Date"), the Company adopted ASC 842. Under the new lease standard, lessees are required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for substantially all leases. The new lease standard will continue to classify leases as either financing or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition. The accounting applied by a lessor under the new guidance will be substantially equivalent to current lease accounting guidance. The following are the type of contracts that fall under ASC 842: Lessor contracts Fuel Provider agreements Fuel provider agreements ("FPAs") are for the sale of brown gas, service and maintenance of sites. The Company is contracted to design and build a Fueling Station on the customer's property in exchange for the Company providing CNG/RNG to the customer for a determined number of years. These are considered to be operating leases with variable consideration. As per ASC 842, the revenue is recognized in the period earned. Additionally, the Company currently has two FPAs which have minimum volume requirements. The Company evaluated these two contracts under ASC 840 and classified them as operating leases. The Company elected not to reassess the lease classification on January 1, 2022 due to change in criteria under ASC 842 for these two FPAs. There were no amendments to one of the contracts after the Adoption Date. However, one of the FPAs was amended on August 25, 2022. The amendment specifically changed the counter party to another affiliate of our customer and amended the rate for fuel dispensed amongst other things. The Company reassessed the contract under ASC 842 on August 25, 2022 and determined that the contract no longer is considered a lease under ASC 842 because the customer does not substantially get all the economic benefits of the use of the fuel station. This conclusion was reached because the Company retained the right to keep all the environmental attributes and monetize by selling them to a unrelated third party. Therefore, the Company included only the portion of revenue earned from this FPA from January 1, 2022 till August 25, 2022 as part of the lease revenue. Power Purchase agreements Power purchase agreements ("PPAs") are for the sale of electricity generated at our Renewable Power facilities. All of our Renewable Power facilities operate under fixed pricing or indexed pricing based on market prices. Two of our Renewable Power facilities transfer the right to control the use of the power plant to the purchaser and are therefore classified as operating leases. The Company elected not to reassess the lease classification due to change in criteria under ASC 842 for these two PPAs. There were no amendments to these two contracts after the Adoption Date. The adoption of ASC 842 did not materially impact the revenue recognition for the above contracts. Included in RNG fuel revenues are $3,510 and $3561 related to the lease portion of the FPAs for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Included in Renewable Power revenues are $1,364 and $1,890 related to the lease element of the PPAs for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Lessee contracts Ground/Site leases The Company through various of its indirectly owned subsidiaries holds site leases on landfills/dairy farms to build RNG generation facilities. Typically, the lease payments over the lease term are immaterial except for three of our RNG facilities - Beacon and two sites at our Central Valley project - MS Digester ("MS") and VS Digester ("VS"). – As of the Adoption Date, the lease at Beacon facility is for 20 years at a monthly rent of $11,050. – As of the Adoption Date, the lease term for MD and VS is for a period of 20 years from their commercial operation date at a quarterly rent of $125,000. As of the Adoption Date, the commercial operation date for MD and VS was expected to be December 31, 2022 and February 1, 2023, respectively. However, as of October 1, 2022, the commercial operation date for both projects was extended to February 1, 2024. The Company accounted the change in the lease term as a lease modification and reassessed the right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities as of that date. Office lease The Company entered into a lease for office and warehouse space that became effective upon the termination of the original lease term on January 31, 2018. The term of the lease renewal was 36 months and contained an option to renew for an additional 24 months. In September 2020, the Company exercised this option. In March, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment to the lease which extended the lease term till January 2026. The rent for the lease is $26 per month with a built in escalation to $27 from February 1, 2022 to February 1, 2023, $43 from February 1, 2023 - February 1, 2024, $45 from February 1 2024 - February 1, 2025 and $46 for the remaining lease term. The Company accounted the change in the lease term as a lease modification and reassessed the right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities as of March 31, 2022. The Company currently shares office space with Fortistar and reimburses Fortistar on a monthly basis at a predetermined rate. The Company determined that this is not a lease under ASC 842 as there is no identifiable asset and the Company does not have the right to control the use of the office space. The Company determined that the 3 site leases and the one office lease as operating leases. Under ASC 842, leases are classified as either finance or operating arrangements, with such classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in an entity's income statement. For operating leases, ASC 842 requires recognition in an entity’s income statement of a single lease expense, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis. Right-of-use assets represent a right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and the related lease liability represents an obligation to make lease payments pursuant to the contractual terms of the lease agreement. Based on the above guidance, the lease expense for the site leases is included as part of Cost of sales - RNG Fuel in its consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The lease expense for the office lease is recorded as part Selling, general and administrative expenses in its consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Vehicle leases The Company leases approximately 65 vehicles in our FM3 and OPAL Fuel Station Services subsidiaries. The leases contain repurchase options at the end of the lease term and the sum total of the lease payments represents substantially the fair value of the asset. Under ASC 842, the Company determined that the vehicle leases are finance leases. For finance leases, ASC 842 requires recognition of amortization of right-of-use asset as part of depreciation and amortization expense and the interest on the finance lease liability as interest expense in the income statement. The Company accordingly recognized its lease expense on the vehicle leases as part of Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense and interest and financing expense, net in its statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Adoption of ASC 842 The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2022, which resulted in the recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets of $13,590 and related lease liabilities for operating leases of $13,302 in Total Assets and Total Liabilities, respectively, on our consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022. The Company also recognized $796 of finance lease right-of-use assets and related f lease liabilities for finance leases of $766 in Total Assets and Total Liabilities, respectively, on our consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022. The Company adopted ASC 842 using the adoption date transition method. Under this method, the Company will apply the guidance to each lease that had commenced as of the beginning of the reporting period in which the entity first applies the leases standard (referred to as the “application date” or the “effective date” under this method) with a cumulative-effect adjustment as of that date. Prior comparative periods would be not be adjusted under this method. The Company will provide necessary disclosures for the comparative periods . Determination of incremental borrowing rate Under ASC 842, at lease commencement, a lessee must develop a discount rate to calculate the present value of the lease payments so that it can determine lease classification and measure the lease liability. When determining the discount rate to be used at lease commencement, a lessee must use the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. When the rate implicit in the lease cannot be readily determined, the lessee should use its incremental borrowing rate. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate that reflects the interest a lessee would have to pay to borrow funds on a collateralized basis over a similar term and in a similar economic environment. The Company determined that its' lease contracts do not contain an implicit borrowing rate. Therefore, the Company arrived at the incremental borrowing rate by determining the Company's implied credit rating and interest rates on its current collateralized borrowings as of January 1, 2022. The Company then determined the incremental borrowing rate for each lease based on the remaining lease term on the specific lease. Based on the above methodology, the Company's incremental borrowing rates ranged from 2.3% to 5.4% for the lease contracts for which the Company recorded right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities. The Company updated the incremental borrowing rate at the end of each reporting period and applied that rate to any new leases entered into in the applicable reporting period. The Company calculated the net present value of the remaining lease payments as of January 1, 2022 for existing leases as of that date and recorded the right-of-use assets and corresponding liabilities on the Adoption Date. For the leases entered into during 2022, the Company recorded the right-of-use asset and lease liabilities in the reporting period the lease term began. Additionally, the Company recorded lease modifications on three leases where the lease term was extended. Prior to January 1, 2022, the Company recognized lease expense in accordance with then-existing ASC 840. Because both ASC 842 and ASC 840 generally recognize operating lease expense as a single line expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease arrangement, there were no material differences between the timing and amount of lease expense recognized for the operating leases under the two accounting methodologies for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. However, the adoption of ASC 842 changed the expense recognition on finance leases by splitting the lease expense into its individual elements - amortization expense and interest expense. Although there was no material difference in the total expense recognized in its statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the lease expense on finance leases for the year ended December 31, 2022 has been presented as part of Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense and interest and financing expense, net in its consolidated statement of operations. Lease Disclosures Under ASC 842 The objective of the disclosure requirements under ASC 842 is to enable users of an entity’s financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from lease arrangements. In addition to the supplemental qualitative leasing disclosures included above, below are quantitative disclosures that are intended to meet the stated objective of ASC 842. |
| Leases | Leases On January 1, 2022 (the "Adoption Date"), the Company adopted ASC 842. Under the new lease standard, lessees are required to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for substantially all leases. The new lease standard will continue to classify leases as either financing or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition. The accounting applied by a lessor under the new guidance will be substantially equivalent to current lease accounting guidance. The following are the type of contracts that fall under ASC 842: Lessor contracts Fuel Provider agreements Fuel provider agreements ("FPAs") are for the sale of brown gas, service and maintenance of sites. The Company is contracted to design and build a Fueling Station on the customer's property in exchange for the Company providing CNG/RNG to the customer for a determined number of years. These are considered to be operating leases with variable consideration. As per ASC 842, the revenue is recognized in the period earned. Additionally, the Company currently has two FPAs which have minimum volume requirements. The Company evaluated these two contracts under ASC 840 and classified them as operating leases. The Company elected not to reassess the lease classification on January 1, 2022 due to change in criteria under ASC 842 for these two FPAs. There were no amendments to one of the contracts after the Adoption Date. However, one of the FPAs was amended on August 25, 2022. The amendment specifically changed the counter party to another affiliate of our customer and amended the rate for fuel dispensed amongst other things. The Company reassessed the contract under ASC 842 on August 25, 2022 and determined that the contract no longer is considered a lease under ASC 842 because the customer does not substantially get all the economic benefits of the use of the fuel station. This conclusion was reached because the Company retained the right to keep all the environmental attributes and monetize by selling them to a unrelated third party. Therefore, the Company included only the portion of revenue earned from this FPA from January 1, 2022 till August 25, 2022 as part of the lease revenue. Power Purchase agreements Power purchase agreements ("PPAs") are for the sale of electricity generated at our Renewable Power facilities. All of our Renewable Power facilities operate under fixed pricing or indexed pricing based on market prices. Two of our Renewable Power facilities transfer the right to control the use of the power plant to the purchaser and are therefore classified as operating leases. The Company elected not to reassess the lease classification due to change in criteria under ASC 842 for these two PPAs. There were no amendments to these two contracts after the Adoption Date. The adoption of ASC 842 did not materially impact the revenue recognition for the above contracts. Included in RNG fuel revenues are $3,510 and $3561 related to the lease portion of the FPAs for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Included in Renewable Power revenues are $1,364 and $1,890 related to the lease element of the PPAs for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Lessee contracts Ground/Site leases The Company through various of its indirectly owned subsidiaries holds site leases on landfills/dairy farms to build RNG generation facilities. Typically, the lease payments over the lease term are immaterial except for three of our RNG facilities - Beacon and two sites at our Central Valley project - MS Digester ("MS") and VS Digester ("VS"). – As of the Adoption Date, the lease at Beacon facility is for 20 years at a monthly rent of $11,050. – As of the Adoption Date, the lease term for MD and VS is for a period of 20 years from their commercial operation date at a quarterly rent of $125,000. As of the Adoption Date, the commercial operation date for MD and VS was expected to be December 31, 2022 and February 1, 2023, respectively. However, as of October 1, 2022, the commercial operation date for both projects was extended to February 1, 2024. The Company accounted the change in the lease term as a lease modification and reassessed the right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities as of that date. Office lease The Company entered into a lease for office and warehouse space that became effective upon the termination of the original lease term on January 31, 2018. The term of the lease renewal was 36 months and contained an option to renew for an additional 24 months. In September 2020, the Company exercised this option. In March, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment to the lease which extended the lease term till January 2026. The rent for the lease is $26 per month with a built in escalation to $27 from February 1, 2022 to February 1, 2023, $43 from February 1, 2023 - February 1, 2024, $45 from February 1 2024 - February 1, 2025 and $46 for the remaining lease term. The Company accounted the change in the lease term as a lease modification and reassessed the right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities as of March 31, 2022. The Company currently shares office space with Fortistar and reimburses Fortistar on a monthly basis at a predetermined rate. The Company determined that this is not a lease under ASC 842 as there is no identifiable asset and the Company does not have the right to control the use of the office space. The Company determined that the 3 site leases and the one office lease as operating leases. Under ASC 842, leases are classified as either finance or operating arrangements, with such classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in an entity's income statement. For operating leases, ASC 842 requires recognition in an entity’s income statement of a single lease expense, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis. Right-of-use assets represent a right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and the related lease liability represents an obligation to make lease payments pursuant to the contractual terms of the lease agreement. Based on the above guidance, the lease expense for the site leases is included as part of Cost of sales - RNG Fuel in its consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The lease expense for the office lease is recorded as part Selling, general and administrative expenses in its consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Vehicle leases The Company leases approximately 65 vehicles in our FM3 and OPAL Fuel Station Services subsidiaries. The leases contain repurchase options at the end of the lease term and the sum total of the lease payments represents substantially the fair value of the asset. Under ASC 842, the Company determined that the vehicle leases are finance leases. For finance leases, ASC 842 requires recognition of amortization of right-of-use asset as part of depreciation and amortization expense and the interest on the finance lease liability as interest expense in the income statement. The Company accordingly recognized its lease expense on the vehicle leases as part of Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense and interest and financing expense, net in its statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. Adoption of ASC 842 The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2022, which resulted in the recognition of operating lease right-of-use assets of $13,590 and related lease liabilities for operating leases of $13,302 in Total Assets and Total Liabilities, respectively, on our consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022. The Company also recognized $796 of finance lease right-of-use assets and related f lease liabilities for finance leases of $766 in Total Assets and Total Liabilities, respectively, on our consolidated balance sheet on January 1, 2022. The Company adopted ASC 842 using the adoption date transition method. Under this method, the Company will apply the guidance to each lease that had commenced as of the beginning of the reporting period in which the entity first applies the leases standard (referred to as the “application date” or the “effective date” under this method) with a cumulative-effect adjustment as of that date. Prior comparative periods would be not be adjusted under this method. The Company will provide necessary disclosures for the comparative periods . Determination of incremental borrowing rate Under ASC 842, at lease commencement, a lessee must develop a discount rate to calculate the present value of the lease payments so that it can determine lease classification and measure the lease liability. When determining the discount rate to be used at lease commencement, a lessee must use the rate implicit in the lease unless that rate cannot be readily determined. When the rate implicit in the lease cannot be readily determined, the lessee should use its incremental borrowing rate. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate that reflects the interest a lessee would have to pay to borrow funds on a collateralized basis over a similar term and in a similar economic environment. The Company determined that its' lease contracts do not contain an implicit borrowing rate. Therefore, the Company arrived at the incremental borrowing rate by determining the Company's implied credit rating and interest rates on its current collateralized borrowings as of January 1, 2022. The Company then determined the incremental borrowing rate for each lease based on the remaining lease term on the specific lease. Based on the above methodology, the Company's incremental borrowing rates ranged from 2.3% to 5.4% for the lease contracts for which the Company recorded right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities. The Company updated the incremental borrowing rate at the end of each reporting period and applied that rate to any new leases entered into in the applicable reporting period. The Company calculated the net present value of the remaining lease payments as of January 1, 2022 for existing leases as of that date and recorded the right-of-use assets and corresponding liabilities on the Adoption Date. For the leases entered into during 2022, the Company recorded the right-of-use asset and lease liabilities in the reporting period the lease term began. Additionally, the Company recorded lease modifications on three leases where the lease term was extended. Prior to January 1, 2022, the Company recognized lease expense in accordance with then-existing ASC 840. Because both ASC 842 and ASC 840 generally recognize operating lease expense as a single line expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease arrangement, there were no material differences between the timing and amount of lease expense recognized for the operating leases under the two accounting methodologies for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. However, the adoption of ASC 842 changed the expense recognition on finance leases by splitting the lease expense into its individual elements - amortization expense and interest expense. Although there was no material difference in the total expense recognized in its statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the lease expense on finance leases for the year ended December 31, 2022 has been presented as part of Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense and interest and financing expense, net in its consolidated statement of operations. Lease Disclosures Under ASC 842 The objective of the disclosure requirements under ASC 842 is to enable users of an entity’s financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from lease arrangements. In addition to the supplemental qualitative leasing disclosures included above, below are quantitative disclosures that are intended to meet the stated objective of ASC 842. |
| Fair Value Measurements | Fair value measurements The fair value of financial instruments, including long-term debt and derivative instruments is defined as the amount at which the instruments could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, net, and accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates fair value due to their short-term maturities. Fair Value Measurement , regarding fair value measurements which establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy and prioritizes the inputs used in valuation techniques that measure fair value. These tiers include: Level 1 — defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets; Level 2 — defined as quoted prices for similar instruments in active market, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, or model-derived valuations for which all significant inputs are observable market data; Level 3 — defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company's assessment of the significance of an input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of fair value assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The Company's interest rate swap contracts are valued with pricing models commonly used by the financial services industry using discounted cash flows of forecast future swap settlements based on projected three-month SOFR rates. The Company does not consider these models to involve significant judgment on the part of management and corroborated the fair value measurements with counterparty valuations. The Company's interest rate swaps are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy based on the observable market rates used to determine its fair value. The Company does not expect to change its valuation techniques and therefore does not anticipate any transfers into or out of different levels of hierarchy. These interest rate swaps are accounted for as derivative financial instrument assets. The Company values its energy commodity swap contracts based on the applicable geographical market energy forward curve. The forward curves are derived based on the quotes provided by New York Mercantile Exchange, Amerex Energy Services and Tradition Energy. The Company does not consider that the pricing index used involves significant judgement on the part of management. Therefore, the Company classifies these commodity swap contracts within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy based on the observable market rates used to determine fair value. The Company accounts for asset retirement obligations by recording the fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation in the period in which it is incurred and when a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The Company estimates the fair value of asset retirement obligations by calculating the estimated present value of the cost to retire the |
