Connecticut on or before October 31, 2024 and to maintain such positions for 24 consecutive months. The 24 consecutive month period ending on or before the Target Date (as extended by the Third Amendment) that yields the highest annual average positions will be used to determine compliance with the updated Employment Obligation, provided that no portion of such 24 consecutive months may begin before the date of the Third Amendment. The Third Amendment also requires the Company to furnish a job audit (the “Job Audit”) to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development (the “Commissioner”) no later than 90 days following the 24-month period described above.
If, as a result of the Job Audit, the Commissioner determines that the Company has failed to meet the updated Employment Obligation, the Company will be required to immediately repay a penalty of $14,225.00 per each full-time employment position below the updated Employment Obligation. The amount repaid will be applied first to any outstanding fees, penalties or interest due, and then against the outstanding balance of the loan.
If, as a result of the Job Audit, the Commissioner determines that the Company has met the updated Employment Obligation and has created an additional 91 full-time employment positions, for a total of 629 full-time employees, the Company may receive a credit in the amount of $2.0 million, which will be applied against the then-outstanding principal balance of the loan. Upon application of such credit, the Commissioner will recalculate the monthly payments of principal and interest such that such monthly payments shall amortize the then remaining principal balance over the remaining term of loan.
Note 16. Benefit Plans
We have stockholder approved equity incentive plans, a stockholder approved employee stock purchase plan and an employee tax-deferred savings plan which are described in more detail below.
Third Amended and Restated 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan
At the Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was called to order and adjourned on April 6, 2023 and April 27, 2023 and was reconvened and concluded on May 22, 2023 (the “Annual Meeting”), the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the FuelCell Energy, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as so amended and restated, the “Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan”), which had previously been approved by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), subject to stockholder approval.
The purpose of the amendment and restatement of the Second Amended and Restated 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan was to authorize the Company to issue up to 6,000,000 additional shares of the Company’s common stock pursuant to awards under the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan.
Following the approval of the amendment and restatement (and therefore the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan) by the Company’s stockholders at the Annual Meeting, the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan provides the Company with the authority to issue a total of 18,333,333 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan authorizes grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock awards (“RSAs”), restricted stock units (“RSUs”), shares, performance shares, performance units, incentive awards and dividend equivalent units to officers, other employees, directors, consultants and advisors. Up to 1,833,333 shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued pursuant to the exercise of incentive stock options. Stock options, RSAs, RSUs and SARs have restrictions as to transferability. Stock option exercise prices are fixed by the Board but shall not be less than the fair market value of our common stock on the date of the grant. SARs may be granted in conjunction with stock options. The Board or the administrator of the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan may terminate the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan at any time. No award may be granted under the Third Amended and Restated Plan after the tenth anniversary of the approval of the Third Amended and Restated Plan by stockholders at the Annual Meeting.
Of the 18,333,333 shares of the Company’s common stock authorized to be issued under the Third Amended and Restated Incentive Plan as of July 31, 2023, 9,210,981 remained available for grant as of July 31, 2023. Of the shares remaining available for grant, the Company had reserved, for potential future grant, up to 2,019,723 performance stock units if maximum performance is achieved.
Amended and Restated 2018 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the FuelCell Energy, Inc. 2018 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as so amended and restated, the “Amended and Restated ESPP”), which had previously been approved by the Board, subject to stockholder approval.