construction contractors may not be able to perform their agreements with us, or may perform them poorly, including, but not limited to, as a result of unavailability of materials or labor, lack of skill or experience, labor disruptions (in particular among those contractors with a unionized labor force), financial difficulties, including bankruptcy or insolvency, or other reasons within and outside the control of such contractor. Contracts required for the development of our projects, including interconnection agreements, may not be obtained on commercially favorable terms or without significant delay, if at all, and we may not be able to obtain all of the land use, environmental, regulatory, construction and zoning permissions we need, on acceptable terms, without significant delay, or at all. In addition, we may enter into agreements with offtakers prior to commencement or completion of a construction project, which expose us to the risks of delays in completion of projects as well as potential cost overruns that may make the project ultimately uneconomic. See “—To the extent we enter into offtake agreements, delays in the completion of a project may require us to pay liquidated damages under certain circumstances, result in contract terminations, or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, costs to bring a project to completion could be greater than expected, which could reduce the project’s profitability and/or result in damages payable by us.”
We may be subject to local opposition to construction, including efforts by environmental groups and Indigenous peoples, which may interfere with operations, adversely impact the use and enjoyment of our real property rights with respect to our generating assets, as well as attract negative publicity or have an adverse impact on our reputation. We have in the past, and may in the future, be subject to disputes with local communities, including Indigenous peoples, regarding the use of certain aspects of our assets, facilities and land, and have in the past, and may in the future, be required to enter into settlement agreements providing for such use, on terms that include, among others, lump sum payments, royalty payments or restrictions on our business.
In addition, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of energy storage assets, such as lithium-ion batteries, for energy applications or any future incident involving energy storage assets, such as a plant, vehicle or other fire, such as the Victorian Big Battery fire in August 2021 or the overheating events in 2021 and 2022 at the Moss Landing battery project, even if such incident does not involve our own storage assets, could adversely affect our business and reputation and may have an adverse effect on the reputation of energy storage projects generally. A materialization of any of these risks could adversely affect our ability to achieve growth in the level of our cash flows or realize benefits from future projects, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to construct, commission and operate all of our projects as described in this prospectus, or, when and if constructed, they do not accomplish the goals described in this prospectus, or if we experience delays or cost overruns in construction, our business, operating results, cash flows and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected. If the power generation and energy storage projects in our pipeline do not achieve COD when expected due to construction and completion delays, we may be obligated to pay liquidated damages to offtakers for those projects, our offtakers may exercise their right to terminate their contracts with us, and we may lose eligibility for the investment and production tax credits associated with such facilities, all of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Timely and cost-effective completion of our construction projects is central to our business strategy, and delays could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, prospects, and results of operations.
Timely and cost-effective completion of our projects in compliance with agreed specifications is central to our business strategy and is highly dependent on a number of factors, including performance of third-party EPC contractors and subcontractors. Skilled EPC contractors are in high demand, particularly contractors with experience in engineering, procurement, and construction for battery storage facilities. The ability of our EPC contractors and subcontractors to perform successfully under their agreements with us is dependent on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, their ability to:
| • | | design and engineer each of our facilities to operate in accordance with specifications; |
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