XML 40 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.3.1.900

Minority Investments | 9 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2015
Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract] |
Minority Investments | 14. Minority Investments Investment in Tres Amigas LLC The Company made an investment in Tres Amigas, focused on providing the first common interconnection of America’s three power grids to help the country achieve its renewable energy goals and facilitate the smooth, reliable and efficient transfer of green power from region to region. The Company’s original investment in Tres Amigas was $5.4 million. As of December 31, 2015, the Company holds a 26% ownership interest in Tres Amigas. The Company has determined that Tres Amigas is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) and that the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE. Therefore, the Company has not consolidated Tres Amigas as of December 31, 2015. The investment wa s carried at acquisition cost, plus the Company’s equity in undistributed earnings or losses. The Comp any’s maximum exposure to loss wa s limited to the Company’s recorded investment in this VIE. The Compan y’s investment in Tres Amigas was included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet and the equity in undistributed losses of Tres Amigas is included in other expense, net, on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Company determined that as a result of delays in Tres Amigas securing financing for the project, as well as the Company’s expectation that its investment would not be recoverable based on recent adverse market indicators for potential sales of the Company’s share of the investment, that its investment in Tres Amigas required further analysis for other-than-temporary impairment. The Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.7 million to fully impair this investment in the three months ended June 30, 2015. The net investment activity for the nine months ended December 31, 2015 is as follows (in thousands):
Balance at April 1, 2015 | $ | 1,102 |
Minority interest in net losses |  | (356 | )
Impairment |  | (746 | )
Balance at December 31, 2015 | $ | - |
Investment in Blade Dynamics Ltd. The Company acquired (through its Austrian subsidiary), a minority ownership position in Blade Dynamics, a designer and manufacturer of advanced wind turbine blades based on proprietary materials and structural technologies. The Company’s original investment was for $8.0 million in cash. The investment wa s carried at the acquisition cost, plus the Company’s equity in undistributed earnings or losses, through December 1, 2012, the date whi ch the company no longer reported undistributed earnings or losses. The Company’s investment in Blade Dynamics wa s included in other assets on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet and the equity in undistributed losses of Blade Dynamics wa s included in other expense, net, on the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the nine months ended December 31, 2014, the Company impaired its remaining investment in Blade Dynamics and recorded an impairment charge of $3.5 million. On October 6, 2015, 100% of the outstanding common stock of Blade Dynamics was acquired by a subsidiary of General Electric Company. After deducting transaction expenses, AMSC received net proceeds of $2.5 million from the sale, whic h was recorded as a gain during the three months ended December 31, 2015. Additionally, under the terms of the purchase agreement, AMSC may be entitled to receive up to an additional $1.6 million in proceeds upon the successful achievement of certain milestones by Blade Dynamics over the next three years.

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsAndJointVenturesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for equity method investments and joint ventures. Equity method investments are investments that give the investor the ability to exercise significant influence over the operating and financial policies of an investee. Joint ventures are entities owned and operated by a small group of businesses as a separate and specific business or project for the mutual benefit of the members of the group. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 35 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49116238&loc=d3e32847-111569 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 35 -Paragraph 32 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49116238&loc=d3e32787-111569 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentsDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration