Conversely, if at any time any shares of Class A Common Stock
are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired by the Company,
Opco shall redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire an equal number
of Opco units held by the Company, upon the same terms and for the
same price, as the shares of Class A Common Stock are
redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired.
Noble Environmental Relationship
In addition to serving as an officer and director of Archaea,
Nicholas Stork is a controlling stockholder, officer, and director
of Noble. Mr. Stork is Chief Financial Officer and a director
of Noble. Additionally, Richard Walton, President of Archaea, is
also Chief Executive Officer and a director of Noble. Noble has an
ownership interest in Struan & Company, LLC, a minority owner
of Archaea Energy LLC and its subsidiaries, collectively, prior to
the Closing (“Archaea Energy”).
Landfill Development Option and Right of First Refusal
In connection with the formation of Archaea Energy in 2018, Noble
and Archaea Energy entered into a letter agreement whereby Noble
granted to Archaea Energy the exclusive option and a right of first
refusal to construct, finance, develop and operate gas processing
plants and related facilities at the landfill site in East
Palestine, Ohio then owned and controlled by a wholly owned
subsidiary of Noble and any future landfill sites owned,
controlled, developed or acquired by Noble or its subsidiaries. In
the event Archaea Energy exercises its option of right of first
refusal, Archaea Energy and Noble will use commercially reasonable
efforts to (i) agree to terms with respect to the project,
(ii) negotiate definitive operating and governance
documentation with respect to the project, (iii) obtain all
permits, licenses, approvals, certificates and other governmental
or regulatory matters which may be required to consummate the
project and (iv) execute and deliver any other documents and
do or cause to be done any other acts as may be necessary or
advisable to consummate the project. As of the date of this proxy
statement, Archaea Energy has not exercised any option of right of
first refusal under the letter agreement.
Assai EPC Agreement
Assai Energy, LLC (“Assai”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Archaea,
is a party to a construction services and project guarantee
agreement with Noble Environmental Specialty Services, LLC, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Noble (“Noble Specialty”), whereby Noble
Specialty agreed to provide engineering, procurement, and
construction services to Archaea Energy with respect to the Assai
project for a fixed price of $19.9 million, subject to certain
adjustments as provided in the agreement. Noble provided Archaea
Energy with a parent guarantee of performance, payment and
completion by Noble Specialty with a cap of $7,500,000.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, there was
approximately $17.9 million advanced to Noble Specialty for
this project.
Loan Guaranty
In connection with Archaea Energy’s acquisition of Big Run Power
Producers, LLC (“Big Run”) in November 2020, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Archaea Holdings, LLC (“Archaea Holdings”) and Big
Run, as borrowers, entered into a credit agreement with Comerica
Bank (“Comerica”) relating to a $5,000,000 secured specific advance
facility loan and a $12,000,000 secured term loan. The loans bore
interest at LIBOR plus 4.5%, which was 5.5% as of December 31,
2020. The maturity date of the financing arrangement was
November 10, 2024. Upon consummation of the Business
Combinations, all outstanding amounts under the credit agreement,
as well as Noble’s accrued guaranty fee, were repaid in full.
To provide further credit support to Comerica, Archaea Energy
sought Noble’s agreement to guaranty the obligations of the
borrowers under the credit agreement with a cap of $17,000,000,
plus interest and fees. As a condition precedent to and in
consideration of Noble furnishing the guaranty, Noble required the
borrowers to incur a guaranty fee in an amount equal to 20% of the
face value of the guaranteed obligation, or $3,400,000, which
accrued interest at an annual rate of 20%, compounded monthly;
provided that the interest rate would be reduced to an annual rate
of 9%, compounded monthly, with respect to, and as of the date, any
portion of the guaranteed obligations had been reduced, decreased
or released by Comerica.
The guaranty was terminated on the date on which the borrowings
have been irrevocably paid and discharged in full.