XML 12 R26.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.19.3

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 6 Months Ended
--- | ---
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Nature of Business and Operations, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Nature of the Business and Operations American Superconductor Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, “AMSC®”or the “Company”) was founded on April 9, 1987. The Company is a leading system provider of megawatt-scale power solutions that enhance the performance of the power grid, protect the Navy’s fleet, and lower the cost of wind power. The Company’s system level products leverage its proprietary “smart materials” and “smart software and controls” to provide enhanced resiliency and improved performance of megawatt-scale power flow. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared on a going concern basis in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10 -Q. The going concern basis of presentation assumes that the Company will continue operations and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those instructions. The year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 and the financial position at September 30, 2019 ; however, these results are not necessarily indicative of results which may be expected for the full year. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2019 , and notes thereto, included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10 -K for the year ended March 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 5, 2019.
Liquidity, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Liquidity The Company has historically experienced recurring operating losses and as of September 30, 2019 , the Company had an accumulated deficit of $ 965.9 million. In addition, the Company has historically experienced recurring negative operating cash flows. At September 30, 2019 , the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $ 62.8 million, with no outstanding debt other than ordinary trade payables. Marketable securities include certificate of deposits with maturities between twelve and twenty-four months. Cash used in operations for the six months ended September 30, 2019 was $ 10.5 million. On July 3, 2018, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Suzhou AMSC Superconductor Co. Ltd. (“AMSC China”) and AMSC Austria GMBH (“AMSC Austria”) entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd. (“Sinovel”). The Settlement Agreement settles the litigation and arbitration proceedings between the Company and Sinovel. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, Sinovel agreed to pay AMSC China an aggregate cash amount in Renminbi (“RMB”) equivalent to $57.5 million, consisting of two installments. Sinovel paid the first installment of the RMB equivalent of $32.5 million on July 4, 2018, which was repatriated to the Company during the nine months ended December 31, 2018 and paid the second installment of the RMB equivalent of $25.0 million on December 27, 2018. The Company’s fiscal 2018 results included the net gain received from the settlement with Sinovel of $52.7 million. On February 1, 2018, ASC Devens LLC (the “Seller”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “PSA”) with 64 Jackson, LLC (the “Purchaser”) and Stewart Title Guaranty Company (“Escrow Agent”), to effectuate the sale of certain real property located at 64 Jackson Road, Devens, Massachusetts, including the building that had served as the Company’s headquarters (collectively, the “Property”), in exchange for total consideration of $23.0 million, composed of (i) cash consideration of $17.0 million, and (ii) a $6.0 million subordinated secured commercial promissory note payable to the Company (the “Seller Note”). Subsequently, the Seller, the Purchaser and Jackson 64 MGI, LLC (“Assignee”) entered into an Assignment of Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Assignment Agreement”), pursuant to which the Purchaser assigned all of its rights and interests in the PSA to the Assignee and the Assignee agreed to assume all of the Purchaser’s obligations and liabilities under the PSA. The transaction closed on March 28, 2018, at which time the Company received, from the Assignee, cash consideration, net of certain agreed upon closing costs, of $16.9 million, and the Seller Note at an interest rate of 1.96%. The Seller Note was secured by a subordinated second mortgage on the Property and a subordinated second assignment of leases and rents. The Company received the first $3.0 million payment due pursuant to the Seller Note on March 28, 2019 and the second $3.0 million payment plus interest on May 23, 2019. In December 2015, the Company entered into a set of strategic agreements valued at approximately $210.0 million with Inox Wind Ltd. (“Inox” or “Inox Wind”), which includes a multi-year supply contract pursuant to which the Company will supply electrical control systems ("ECS") to Inox and a license agreement allowing Inox to manufacture a limited number of ECS. After Inox purchases the specified number of ECS required under the terms of the supply contract, Inox agreed that the Company will continue as Inox’s preferred supplier and Inox will be required to purchase from the Company a majority of its ECS requirements for an additional three -year period. Pursuant to these strategic agreements, Inox must forecast future purchase orders of sets of ECS which become firm orders three months prior to shipment, and Inox must post letters of credit before the Company will ship such orders. Inox is currently delinquent on its obligation to post letters of credit for sets of ECS that Inox forecasted to purchase under the terms of the supply contract. We cannot predict if and when Inox will post letters of credit consistent with the forecasted ECS quantities. Inox’s failure to post letters of credit and take delivery of forecasted ECS quantities would impact the Company’s revenues and liquidity. The Company believes that based on the information presented above and its quarterly management assessment, it has sufficient liquidity to fund its operations and capital expenditures for the next twelve months following the issuance of the financial statements for the six months ended September 30, 2019 . The Company’s liquidity is highly dependent on its ability to increase revenues, including its ability to collect revenues under its agreements with Inox, its ability to control its operating costs, and its ability to raise additional capital, if necessary. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to raise additional capital, on favorable terms or at all, from other sources or execute on any other means of improving liquidity described above.

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for liquidity. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | amsc_LiquidityPolicyPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | amsc_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for nature of business and operations. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | amsc_NatureOfBusinessAndOperationsPolicyPolicyTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | amsc_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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