Note 11. Debt

Debt as of October 31, 2017 and 2016 consisted of the following (in thousands):

	2017			2016
Hercules Loan and Security Agreement	$	21,468		$	20,521
State of Connecticut Loan		10,000			10,000
Finance obligation for sale-leaseback transactions		46,937			41,603
NRG loan agreement		-			1,755
Connecticut Green Bank Note		6,052			6,050
Connecticut Development Authority Note		2,349			2,589
New Britain Renewable Energy Term Loan		1,697			—
Capitalized lease obligations		632			660
Deferred finance costs		(1,344	)		(1,408	)
Total debt	$	87,791		$	81,770
Current portion of long-term debt		(28,281	)		(5,010	)
Long-term debt	$	59,510		$	76,760

Aggregate annual principal payments under our loan agreements and capital lease obligations for the years subsequent to October 31, 2017 are as follows (in thousands):

Year 1	$	28,583
Year 2		4,518
Year 3		4,863
Year 4		4,057
Year 5		4,089
Thereafter		43,025
	$	89,135

In April 2016, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with Hercules Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”) subject to certain terms and conditions of which the Company drew down $20.0 million during fiscal year 2016. The loan is a 30 month secured facility and the term loan interest was previously 9.5 percent and increased to 9.75 percent resulting from the increase in the prime rate. Interest is paid on a monthly basis. Interest only payments were to be made for the first 18 months as a result of the Company achieving certain milestones. In addition to interest, principal payments commenced on November 1, 2017 in equal monthly installments. The loan balance and all accrued and unpaid interest is due and payable by October 1, 2018. Per the terms of the loan and security agreement, there is an end of term payment of $1.7 million which is being accreted over the 30 month term using the effective interest rate method.

As collateral for obligations under Hercules Agreement, the Company granted Hercules a security interest in FuelCell Energy, Inc.’s existing and hereafter-acquired assets except for intellectual property and certain other excluded assets. Collateral does not include assets held by FuelCell Finance or any project subsidiary thereof. The Company may continue to collateralize and finance its project subsidiaries through other lenders and partners. Under the Hercules Agreement, as amended, there is a minimum cash covenant which requires the Company to maintain an unrestricted cash balance in accounts subject to an account control agreement in favor of Hercules of at least the greater of (x) (a) 75% of the outstanding loan balance plus (b) the amount of accounts payable (as defined under GAAP) not paid within 90 days of the invoice date and (y) (a) at all times prior to the Stockholder Approval Date (as defined in the Certificate of Designations for the Series C Preferred Stock), $20.0 million and (b) at all times on and after the Stockholder Approval Date, $10.0 million (the Stockholder Approval Date was December 14, 2017, which was the date on which stockholder approval of the issuance of certain shares upon the conversion and/or redemption of the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock was obtained).

In November 2015, the Company closed on a definitive Assistance Agreement with the State of Connecticut and received a disbursement of $10.0 million for the first phase of the expansion project to expand the existing 65,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Torrington, Connecticut by approximately 102,000 square feet for a total size of 167,000 square feet. In conjunction with this financing, the Company entered into a $10.0 million Promissory Note and related security agreement securing the loan with equipment liens and a mortgage on its Danbury, Connecticut location. Pursuant to the terms of the loan, payment of principal is deferred for the first four years. Interest at a fixed rate of 2.0 percent is payable beginning in December 2015. The financing is payable over 15 years, and is predicated on certain terms and conditions, including the forgiveness of up to half of the loan principal if certain job retention and job creation targets are reached. On April 17, 2017, the Company entered into an amendment to the Assistance Agreement extending certain of the job creation target dates by two years to October 28, 2019.

In 2015, the Company entered into an agreement with PNC, whereby the Company’s project finance subsidiaries may enter into sale-leaseback agreements for commissioned projects where we have entered into a PPA with the site host/end-user of produced power. Under the financing method of accounting for a sale-leaseback, the Company does not recognize as income any of the sale proceeds received from the lessor that contractually constitute payment to acquire the assets subject to these arrangements. Instead, the sale proceeds received are accounted for as financing obligations. The outstanding finance obligation balance as of October 31, 2017 was $46.9 million and the increase from the October 31, 2016 balance of $41.6 million includes a sale-leaseback transaction of $5.4 million which was completed in December 2016 and the recognition of imputed interest expense offset by lease payments. New sale-leaseback transactions of $41.5 million were entered into during the year ended October 31, 2016. The sale-leaseback transactions include a fair value purchase option at the end of the lease term.

In July 2014, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, FuelCell Finance, entered into a Loan Agreement with NRG. Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, NRG has extended a $40.0 million revolving construction and term financing facility for the purpose of accelerating project development by the Company and its subsidiaries. We may draw on the facility to finance the construction of projects through the commercial operating date of the power plants. The interest rate is 8.5 percent per annum for construction-period financing and 8.0 percent thereafter. Fees that were paid by FuelCell Finance to NRG for making the loan facility available and related legal fees incurred were capitalized and are being amortized straight-line over the life of the related loan agreement, which is five years. The term of the loans are up to five years but may be repaid early should the projects be sold or refinanced at the option of the Company.

The Company has a long-term loan agreement with the Connecticut Green Bank totaling $5.9 million in support of the Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park project. The loan agreement carries an interest rate of 5.0 percent. Interest only payments commenced in January 2014 and principal payments will commence on the eighth anniversary of the project’s provisional acceptance date, which is December 20, 2021, payable in forty-eight equal monthly installments. Outstanding amounts are secured by future cash flows from the Bridgeport Fuel Cell Park service agreement.

The Company has a loan agreement with the Connecticut Development Authority to finance equipment purchases associated with manufacturing capacity expansion allowing for a maximum amount borrowed of $4.0 million. The interest rate is 5.0 percent and the loan is collateralized by the assets procured under this loan as well as $4.0 million of additional machinery and equipment. Repayment terms require monthly interest and principal payments through May 2018.

In November 2016, in connection with the acquisition of NBRE, debt with Webster Bank was assumed as a part of the transaction in the amount of $2.3 million. The term loan interest rate is 5.0 percent and payments are due on a quarterly basis commencing in January 2017. The balance outstanding as of October 31, 2017 was $1.7 million.

The Company leases computer equipment under master lease agreements. Lease payment terms are generally thirty-six months from the date of acceptance for leased equipment.

Direct deferred finance costs relate primarily to sale-leaseback transactions entered into with PNC which are being amortized over the ten-year term and direct deferred finance costs relating to the Hercules loan and security agreement entered into in April 2016 is being amortized over the 30 month life of the loan.