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Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation
Nature of Operations
Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc. ("ADES" or the "Company") is a Delaware corporation with its principal office located in Greenwood Village, Colorado and operations located in Louisiana. The Company is principally engaged in the sale of consumable air and water treatment options including activated carbon ("AC") and chemical technologies. The Company's proprietary technologies in the advanced purification technologies ("APT") market enable customers to reduce air and water contaminants, including mercury and other pollutants, to maximize utilization levels and improve operating efficiencies to meet the challenges of existing and pending emission control regulations. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, ADA Carbon Solutions, LLC ("Carbon Solutions"), the Company manufactures and sells AC used to capture and remove contaminants for coal-fired power plants and industrial and water treatment markets. Carbon Solutions also owns an associated lignite mine that supplies the primary raw material for manufacturing AC.
Through its equity ownership in Tinuum Group, LLC ("Tinuum Group") and Tinuum Services, LLC ("Tinuum Services"), both of which are unconsolidated entities, the Company generates substantial earnings. Tinuum Group provides reduction of mercury and nitrogen oxide ("NOx") emissions at select coal-fired power generators through the production and sale of refined coal ("RC") that qualifies for tax credits under the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") Section 45 - Production Tax Credit ("Section 45 tax credits"). The Company also earns royalties for technologies that are licensed to Tinuum Group and used at certain RC facilities to enhance combustion and reduced emissions of NOx and mercury from coal burned to generate electrical power. Tinuum Services operates and maintains the RC facilities under operating and maintenance agreements with Tinuum Group and owners or lessees of the RC facilities. Both Tinuum Group and Tinuum Services are significantly winding down their operations due to the expected expiration of the Section 45 tax credit period as of December 31, 2021. As such, the Company's earnings and distributions from our RC segment will substantially cease as of December 31, 2021.
The Company’s sales occur principally in the United States. See Note 17 for additional information regarding the Company's operating segments.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of ADES are unaudited and have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and with Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted.
The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of ADES in this quarterly report ("Quarterly Report") are presented on a consolidated basis and include ADES and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company"). Also included within the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are the Company's unconsolidated equity investments: Tinuum Group, Tinuum Services and GWN Manager, LLC ("GWN Manager"), which are accounted for under the equity method of accounting, and Highview Enterprises Limited (the "Highview Investment"), which is accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP applicable to equity investments that do not qualify for the equity method of accounting.
Results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts were eliminated in consolidation for all periods presented in this Quarterly Report.
In the opinion of management, these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position, stockholders' equity and cash flows for the interim periods presented. These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 (the "2020 Form 10-K"). Significant accounting policies disclosed therein have not changed.
Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed using the two-class method, which is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings (loss) per share for common stock and any participating securities according to dividend and participating rights in undistributed earnings (losses). Pursuant to U.S. GAAP, the Company has elected not to separately present basic or diluted earnings per share attributable to participating securities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed in a manner consistent with that of basic earnings per share, while considering other potentially dilutive securities. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, potentially dilutive securities consist of unvested non-participating restricted stock awards ("RSA's"), as well as contingent performance stock units ("PSU's"). For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, potentially dilutive securities consist of both unvested, participating and non-participating RSA's, as well as outstanding options to purchase common stock ("Stock Options") and PSU's.
The dilutive effect, if any, for non-participating RSA's, Stock Options and PSU's is determined using the greater of dilution as calculated under the treasury stock method or the two-class method. Potentially dilutive securities are excluded from diluted earnings per share when their effect is anti-dilutive. When there is a net loss for a period, all potentially dilutive securities are anti-dilutive and are excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share for that period.
The following table sets forth the calculations of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share:
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)2021202020212020
Net income (loss)$24,253 $4,975 $54,580 $(20,732)
Less: Dividends and undistributed income (loss) allocated to participating securities— — — (10)
Income (loss) attributable to common stockholders$24,253 $4,975 $54,580 $(20,722)
Basic weighted-average common shares outstanding18,292 18,093 18,243 18,014 
Add: dilutive effect of equity instruments197 10 173 — 
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding18,489 18,103 18,416 18,014 
Earnings (loss) per share - basic$1.33 $0.27 $2.99 $(1.15)
Earnings (loss) per share - diluted$1.31 $0.27 $2.96 $(1.15)
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, potentially dilutive securities convertible to zero and 0.5 million and 0.1 million and 0.9 million shares of common stock, respectively, were outstanding but were not included in the calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share because the effect would have been anti-dilutive.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. There have been no changes in the Company’s critical accounting estimates from those that were disclosed in the 2020 Form 10-K. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Due to the coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, there has been uncertainty and disruption in the global economy and financial markets. Additionally, due to COVID-19, overall power generation and coal-fired power demand may decline, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance due to COVID-19 that would require an update to its estimates or judgments or a revision of the carrying values of its assets or liabilities through the date of this Quarterly Report. These estimates may change as new events occur and additional information is obtained. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Risks and Uncertainties
The Company’s earnings are significantly affected by equity earnings from Tinuum Group. As of September 30, 2021, Tinuum Group has 16 invested RC facilities, of which 5 are leased to a single customer. Both Tinuum Group and Tinuum Services are winding down their operations due to the expected expiration of the Section 45 tax credit period as of December 31, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, Tinuum Group ceased operating seven RC facilities, with the remaining RC facilities expected to cease operations during the fourth quarter of 2021. The loss of Tinuum Group's customers, reduction in revenue streams as a result of lease renewals and the expiration of Section 45 tax credits will have a significant adverse impact on Tinuum Group's financial position, results of operations and cash flows, which in turn will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
The Company's revenues, sales volumes, earnings and cash flows are significantly affected by prices of competing power generation sources such as natural gas and renewable energy. During periods of low natural gas prices, natural gas provides a competitive alternative to coal-fired power generation and therefore, coal consumption may be reduced, which in turn reduces the demand for the Company's products. However, during periods of higher prices for competing power generation sources, there is an increase in coal consumption and thus demand for the Company's products also increase. In addition, coal consumption and demand for the Company's products are also affected by the demand for electricity, which is higher in the warmer and colder months of the year. Abnormal temperatures during the summer and winter months may significantly affect coal consumption and thus the demand for the Company's products.
Reclassifications
Certain balances have been reclassified from the prior year to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial position in any of the periods presented.
New Accounting Standards
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). The main objective of ASU 2016-13 is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. To achieve this objective, the amendments in ASU 2016-13 replace the incurred loss impairment methodology in current U.S. GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to form credit loss estimates. ASU 2016-13 is effective for "smaller reporting companies" (as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission) for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those years, and must be adopted under a modified retrospective method approach. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of this guidance and assessing the impact on its financial statements and disclosures and does not believe this standard will have a material impact on its financial statements and disclosures.