Motorsport Games (MSGM) – A Look Under The Hood

Monday, January 24, 2022

Motorsport Games (MSGM)
A Look Under The Hood

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and mobile. Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, among others. The company’s IPO was in January 2021, and it is headquartered in Miami, FL. For more information about Motorsport Games, visit www.motorsportgames.com.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    President departs. The company announced the departure of Stephen Hood, the president of Motorsport Games and person responsible for the Company’s Development Studio. Dmitry Kozko, the CEO, will be taking the added responsibilities of the president and will oversee the company’s Development Studio.

    Dmitry takes charge.  We believe that Mr. Kozko is capable of taking on the added roll of overseeing the company’s Development Studio. He has experience in this area as the past CEO of Utracast and as the president and director of Net Element. We believe that the recent departure of Stephen Hood highlights the disappointment in the performance of NASCAR21: Ignition, which launched October 28 …



This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Release – Ocugen Inc. Announces Nirdosh Jagota Ph.D. as Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs Compliance Safety



Ocugen Inc. Announces Nirdosh Jagota, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Compliance & Safety

 

Research, News, and Market Data on Ocugen

 

MALVERN, Pa., Jan. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ocugen, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCGN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19, today announced the appointment of Nirdosh Jagota, Ph.D.,  as Senior Vice President (SVP), Regulatory Affairs, compliance and safety.

He’ll be responsible for ensuring the global strategy, development and execution of regulatory activities for the company’s pipeline, including gene therapies and vaccines, are aligned with local and international registration requirements. His responsibilities include supporting commercialization. He will serve as a member of Ocugen’s management team, reporting directly to the CEO.

Dr. Jagota is a seasoned biopharmaceutical regulatory professional with 30 years of experience in leading roles in drug development and regulatory sciences for vaccines, biologics and small molecules. Prior to joining Ocugen, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer of Arcturus Therapeutics. Before joining Arcuturs he was Senior Vice President in Global Regulatory Affairs and Safety. Over the course of his career, Dr. Jagota has held leadership positions with Genentech, Roche, and Pfizer.

“We’ve been making progress on our regulatory efforts, and Nirdosh’s arrival comes at an important time. He brings the experience, knowledge and successful track record of bringing many biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, through high performance teams, to the market. This is an investment into Ocugen’s future work with national and international regulatory agencies,” said Dr. Shankar Musunuri, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-founder of Ocugen.

“Ocugen is a company with the talent and expertise to tackle some of the world’s most challenging health issues, and I’m excited to be joining this team,” commented Nirdosh Jagota, Ph.D.

Dr. Jagota’s work has had international impact, managing teams spanning more than 20 countries, successfully shaping regulatory strategy across multiple therapeutic categories and establishing centers of excellence. In his career, Dr. Jagota has led and contributed to development, approval, and expansion of more than 30 vaccines and therapeutics including Ervebo®, Vaxneuvance™, Gardasil®9, Kadcyla®, Erivedge®, Zelboraf®, and Keytruda®.

Dr. Jagota holds a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from University of Georgia and an M.S. in biotechnology from University of Toledo, Ohio. and a BS/MS in pharmacy from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Varanasi. 

About Ocugen, Inc.
Ocugen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and develop a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19. Our breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to treat multiple retinal diseases with one drug – “one to many” and our novel biologic product candidate aims to offer better therapy to patients with underserved diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy. We are co-developing Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN™ vaccine candidate for COVID-19 in the U.S. market. For more information, please visit www.ocugen.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. We may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “proposed,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from our current expectations. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the risk factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

Ocugen Contact: 
Ken Inchausti
Head, Investor Relations & Communications
IR@Ocugen.com 

Release – Indonesia Energy Closes Initial Tranche of $7.0 Million Private Placement



Indonesia Energy Closes Initial Tranche of $7.0 Million Private Placement

Research, News, and Market Data on Indonesia Energy

 

JAKARTA, INDONESIA and DANVILLE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 24, 2022 / Indonesia Energy Corporation (NYSE American:INDO) (“IEC”), an oil and gas exploration and production company focused on Indonesia, today announced the closing of the initial $5.0 million tranche of a total anticipated $7.0 million private placement with a single institutional investor.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement for funding its previously announced oil well drilling program and for working capital general corporate purposes.

The investment is in the form of a senior convertible note which carries a 6.0% original issue discount, resulting in proceeds before expenses to IEC of approximately $4.7 million. The note has an 18-month maturity and a fixed conversion price of $6.00 per ordinary share for voluntary conversions of the note, subject to adjustment. Beginning four months following the closing of this initial tranche, IEC is required to make equal monthly installment payments of the note through the maturity date, which payments are payable in cash or ordinary shares of IEC (or a combination of cash and shares), with such shares being valued for each payment on the terms provided for under the note.

As part of the investment, the investor was also granted a five year warrant to purchase 383,620 ordinary shares at an exercise price of $6.00 per share, subject to adjustment.

IEC has agreed to file a registration statement registering for resale the ordinary shares issuable upon conversion of the note and upon exercise of the warrant. Upon the declaration of effectiveness of such registration statement, and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, a second tranche of funding will be provided by the investor in the principal amount of $2 million, less a 6% original issuance discount, resulting in proceeds before expenses to IEC of approximately $1.88 million. Such principal amount, if funded, will be added to the principal amount of the note, and the investor will be entitled to receive an additional warrant (carrying the same terms as the initial warrant) to purchase 153,450 ordinary shares.

EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, acted as exclusive placement agent for the private placement and received customary fees.

Additional information regarding this transaction will be provided in a Form 6-K to be filed by IEC with Securities and Exchange Commission.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited

Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited (NYSE American:INDO) is a publicly traded energy company engaged in the acquisition and development of strategic, high growth energy projects in Indonesia. IEC’s principal assets are its Kruh Block (63,000 acres) located onshore on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia and its Citarum Block (1,000,000 acres) located onshore on the Island of Java in Indonesia. IEC is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia and has a representative office in Danville, California. For more information on IEC, please visit www.indo-energy.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release of Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited (“IEC”) and its representatives and partners that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Acts”). In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words “estimates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “intends,” “on-track”, “plans,” “anticipates,” or “may,” and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Acts and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Acts. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the IEC’s control, that could cause actual results (including, without limitation, whether the second tranche of the financing described herein actually occurs, or the results of IEC’s drilling program) to materially and adversely differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed on May 18, 2021, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies are of such documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. IEC undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Company Contact:

Frank C. Ingriselli
President, Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited
Frank.Ingriselli@Indo-Energy.com

SOURCE: Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited

Seanergy Maritime Provides Guidance on TCE and EBITDA



Seanergy Maritime Provides Guidance on TCE and EBITDA

Research, News, and Market Data on Seanergy Maritime

 

January 24, 2022 – Glyfada, Greece – Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (the “Company” or “Seanergy”) (NASDAQ: SHIP) updated its time charter equivalent (“TCE rate”) guidance upwards for the fourth quarter of 2021, provided preliminary TCE guidance for the first quarter of 2022, as well as EBITDA projections for FY 2022.1 2

TCE Guidance

In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company is expected to exceed an average TCE rate of approximately $36,000 per ship per day, outperforming our previously announced guidance of $35,200 per ship per day.3

As of the date of this press release, our estimated TCE rate for the first quarter of 2022 is expected to be approximately $19,0004. This estimate assumes that the remaining unfixed operating days of our index-linked vessels for this period will be equal to the average Forward Freight Agreement (“FFA”) rate of $13,500 per day. Our TCE guidance for the first quarter includes certain conversions of index-linked charters to fixed, which were concluded in the third and fourth quarter of 2021, as part of our freight hedging strategy.

EBITDA Projections5

The following graph provides the Company’s estimates for its EBITDA for 2022, based on various scenarios for the average TCE for the 5 T/C routes of the Baltic Capesize Index (“TC5” of the “BCI”).

 

Stamatis Tsantanis, the Company’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, stated:

“As a result of our pro-active hedging strategy in 2H21, we estimate that we will overperform the current spot market rate by approximately 50% in the first quarter. Moreover, our robust EBITDA generating capacity in multiple freight environments attests to our firm belief that our shares are currently significantly undervalued.

“Despite the seasonal market weakness, we expect that supply and demand fundamentals will result in a strong recovery of Capesize rates within the following months. Our solid balance sheet, modern fleet and strong relationships with world leading charterers in combination with our substantial operating leverage place Seanergy in an optimal position to generate strong revenues and profitability in an improving charter rate environment.”

About Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp.

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. is the only pure-play Capesize ship-owner publicly listed in the US. Seanergy provides marine dry bulk transportation services through a modern fleet of Capesize vessels. The Company’s operating fleet consists of 17 Capesize vessels with an average age of 11.7 years and aggregate cargo carrying capacity of approximately 3,011,083 dwt.

The Company is incorporated in the Marshall Islands and has executive offices in Glyfada, Greece. The Company’s common shares trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SHIP” and its Class B warrants under “SHIPZ”.

Please visit our company website at: www.seanergymaritime.com.

Note Regarding Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures

The Company reports its financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). EBITDA and TCE rate are non-GAAP financial measures.

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”) represents the sum of net income / (loss) (the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure), interest and finance costs, interest income, depreciation and amortization and, if any, income taxes during a period. EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under U.S. GAAP.

EBITDA is presented as we believe that this measure is useful to investors as a widely used means of evaluating operating profitability. EBITDA as presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. This non-GAAP measure should not be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

TCE rate is defined as the Company’s net revenue less voyage expenses during a period divided by the number of the Company’s operating days during the period. Voyage expenses include port charges, bunker (fuel oil and diesel oil) expenses, canal charges and other commissions. The Company includes the TCE rate, a non-GAAP measure, as it believes it provides additional meaningful information in conjunction with net revenues from vessels, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure, and because it assists the Company’s management in making decisions regarding the deployment and use of the Company’s vessels and in evaluating their financial performance. The Company’s calculation of TCE rate may not be comparable to that reported by other companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events. Words such as “may”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “hopes”, “estimates” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the Company’s operating or financial results; the Company’s liquidity, including its ability to service its indebtedness; competitive factors in the market in which the Company operates; shipping industry trends, including charter rates, vessel values and factors affecting vessel supply and demand; future, pending or recent acquisitions and dispositions, business strategy, areas of possible expansion or contraction, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; risks associated with operations outside the United States; risks associated with the length and severity of the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, including its effects on demand for dry bulk products and the transportation thereof; and other factors listed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including its most recent annual report on Form 20-F. The Company’s filings can be obtained free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Except to the extent required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

For further information please contact:

Seanergy Investor Relations

Tel: +30 213 0181 522

E-mail: ir@seanergy.gr

 

Capital Link, Inc.

Paul Lampoutis

230 Park Avenue Suite 1536

New York, NY 10169

Tel: (212) 661-7566

E-mail: seanergy@capitallink.com


1 EBITDA and TCE rate are non-GAAP measures. Please see the discussion above under the heading “Note Regarding Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures” for more information.

2 Guidance is provided for TCE rate and EBITDA on a non-U.S. GAAP basis only, because information regarding various items necessary to determine net revenue from vessels and net income / (loss), the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP for TCE rate and EBITDA, respectively, on a forward looking basis is unavailable due to the uncertainty and inherent difficulty of predicting the occurrence and the future financial statement impact of such items, including, but not limited to, voyage expenses, stock-based compensation and the non-recurring gain on sale of vessel and gain on debt refinancing, and certain non-ordinary course matters. Because of the uncertainty and variability of the nature and amount of such items, which could be significant, the Company is unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of the differences between expected TCE rate and EBITDA and the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP without unreasonable efforts. The unavailable reconciling items could significantly affect the Company’s financial results for the periods discussed on a forward-looking basis herein.

3 The Company has not finalized its financial statement closing process for the fourth quarter. During the course of that process, the Company may identify items that would require it to make adjustments, including possible material adjustments to these preliminary results.

4 This guidance is based on certain assumptions, including projected utilization, and there can be no assurance that these assumptions and the resulting TCE estimates will be realized. TCE estimates include certain floating (index) to fixed rate conversions concluded in previous periods. For vessels on index-linked T/Cs, the TCE realized will vary with the underlying index, and for the purposes of this guidance, the TCE assumed for the remaining operating days of an index-linked T/C is equal to the average FFA rate of approximately $13,500 per day for the remaining days of the first quarter of 2022 based on the FFA curve as of January 19, 2022.

5 These projections are based on certain assumptions, including no change to the current composition of our fleet, fleet utilization or commissions and expenses, including operating and general & administrative expenses, based on the historical performance of the Company in the first nine months of 2021. EBITDA projections exclude extraordinary items such as gain/loss on vessel sales, loan refinancing etc. There can be no assurance that these assumptions and the resulting projections will be realized. As a result, the above projections constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including possible material adjustments to the projections disclosed. The Company is providing this information on a one-time basis only, subject to these assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and does not intend to update this information.

Endeavour Silver (EXK)(EDR:CA) – Standing on the Bridge to a More Exciting Outlook

Friday, January 21, 2022

Endeavour Silver (EXK)(EDR:CA)
Standing on the Bridge to a More Exciting Outlook

As of April 24, 2020, Noble Capital Markets research on Endeavour Silver is published under ticker symbols (EXK and EDR:CA). The price target is in USD and based on ticker symbol EXK. Research reports dated prior to April 24, 2020 may not follow these guidelines and could account for a variance in the price target.

Endeavour Silver Corp is a precious metal mining company. The company is primarily engaged in silver mining and owns three high-grade, underground, silver-gold mines in Mexico. Its other business activities include acquisition, exploration, development, extraction, processing, refining and reclamation. The company is organized into four operating mining segments, Guanacevi, Bolanitos, El Cubo, and El Compas, which are located in Mexico as well as Exploration and Corporate segments. Its Exploration segment consists of projects in the exploration and evaluation phases in Mexico and Chile.

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst of Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Full year production results and 2022 guidance. Compared to 2020, silver, and gold production in 2021 increased 38.6% and 13.8% to 4,870,787 ounces and 42,262 ounces, respectively. Strong full year operational performance was due, in part, to higher throughput and grades at the Guanacevi mine. At year-end, Endeavour held 1,028,340 ounces of silver and 1,044 ounces of gold bullion and 54,270 ounces of silver and 2,630 ounces of gold in concentrate inventory. In 2022, silver production is expected to range from 4.2 million to 4.8 million ounces, while gold production is expected to range from 31,000 to 35,000 ounces.

    Updating production and earnings estimates.  We are updating our 2021 and 2022 EPS estimates to $(0.01) and $0.14 from $0.02 and $0.15, respectively. Our 2021 EBITDA estimates are $37.9 million and $65.9 million compared to our prior estimates of $44.8 million and $67.2 million, respectively. Our 2022 estimates reflect lower production, partially offset by sales from inventory, and a higher share …



This research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision. 

Capstone Green Energy (NASDAQ:CGRN) Systems To Provide 3.4 MW of Power for Renewable Energy Operation in California

 



Capstone Green Energy (NASDAQ:CGRN) Systems To Provide 3.4 MW of Power for Renewable Energy Operation in California

Research, News, and Market Data on Capstone Green Energy

 

3.4 MW Low Emission Energy System will Run on 100% Renewable Fuel.

VAN NUYS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2022 / Capstone Green Energy Corporation (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN), (“Capstone,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”), a global leader in carbon reduction and on-site resilient green energy solutions, today announced that its West Coast distributor, Cal Microturbine, has secured a contract to provide a 3.4 MW microturbine based system for a renewable energy customer in southern California.

The system, which will be configured with three Capstone Green Energy C1000S Signature Series microturbines and one C400S Signature Series microturbine, will provide onsite power at the customer’s facility using 100% renewable fuel.

“This order is indicative of the shift we are seeing to more renewable fueled energy projects in recent years,” stated Jen Derstine, Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at Capstone Green Energy. “In fiscal 2019, renewables made up 7% of our overall business and in fiscal 2021 they made up 13% of our business. That should continue to grow based on incentives, access to renewable fuels and improvements in renewable energy technologies,” concluded Ms. Derstine.

The customer initially considered leveraging reciprocating engines for the project but ultimately selected Capstone Green Energy’s microturbines due to their best-in-class rating for low emissions and low life cycle costs.

“Capstone’s autonomous microturbine technology is an ideal fit for renewable fueled projects,” said Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Cal Microturbine. “The ultra-low emissions technology and low maintenance design allow our clients to execute on their green energy initiatives without the need for a costly onsite operator.”

“On an environmental scale, Capstone microturbines provide can be an important tool in the fight against climate change,” said Darren Jamison, Chief Executive Officer of Capstone Green Energy. “On a business strategy level, particularly for those businesses in California, our technology makes meeting air quality regulations significantly less complicated and less costly than many alternatives currently on the market,” Mr. Jamison concluded.

About Capstone Green Energy
Capstone Green Energy (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) is a leading provider of customized microgrid solutions and on-site energy technology systems focused on helping customers around the globe meet their environmental, energy savings, and resiliency goals. Capstone Green Energy focuses on four key business lines. Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, it offers rental solutions utilizing its microturbine energy systems and battery storage systems, comprehensive Factory Protection Plan (FPP) service contracts that guarantee life-cycle costs, as well as aftermarket parts. Energy Generation Technologies (EGT) are driven by the Company’s industry-leading, highly efficient, low-emission, resilient microturbine energy systems offering scalable solutions in addition to a broad range of customer-tailored solutions, including hybrid energy systems and larger frame industrial turbines. The Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) business line designs and installs microgrid storage systems creating customized solutions using a combination of battery technologies and monitoring software. Through Hydrogen & Sustainable Products (H2S), Capstone Green Energy offers customers a variety of hydrogen products, including the Company’s microturbine energy systems.

For customers with limited capital or short-term needs, Capstone offers rental systems; for more information, contact: rentals@CGRNenergy.com. To date, Capstone has shipped over 10,000 units to 83 countries and estimates that, in FY21, it saved customers over $217 million in annual energy costs and approximately 397,000 tons of carbon. Total savings over the last three fiscal years are estimated to be approximately $698 million in energy savings and approximately 1,115,100 tons of carbon savings.

For more information about the Company, please visit www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com. Follow Capstone Green Energy on TwitterLinkedInInstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations for green initiatives and execution on the Company’s growth strategy and other statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, and strategies. The Company has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “goal” and similar terms and phrases, but such words, terms and phrases are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability of credit and compliance with the agreements governing the Company’s indebtedness; the Company’s ability to develop new products and enhance existing products; product quality issues, including the adequacy of reserves therefor and warranty cost exposure; intense competition; financial performance of the oil and natural gas industry and other general business, industry and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to adequately protect its intellectual property rights; and the impact of pending or threatened litigation. For a detailed discussion of factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results, please see the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the disclosures under “Risk Factors” in those filings. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances or future events or for any other reason.

CONTACT:
Capstone Green Energy
Investor and investment media inquiries:
818-407-3628
ir@CGRNenergy.com

SOURCE: Capstone Green Energy Corporation

Great Bear Announces the Filing of its Management Information Circular in Connection with its Special Meeting to Approve Acquisition by Kinross



Great Bear Announces the Filing of its Management Information Circular in Connection with its Special Meeting to Approve Acquisition by Kinross

Research, News, and Market Data on Great Bear Resources

 

January 20, 2022 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – Great Bear Resources Ltd. (the “Company” or “Great Bear”, TSX-V: GBR; OTCQX: GTBAF) announced today that it has mailed and filed a management information circular and related materials (the “Meeting Materials”) for its special meeting (the “Meeting”) of shareholders, optionholders, restricted share unit (“RSU”) holders, and deferred share unit (“DSU”) holders of Great Bear (collectively, “Securityholders”) to be held on February 14, 2022, in connection with the proposed acquisition of Great Bear by Kinross Gold Corporation (“Kinross”, TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) announced on December 8, 2021 (the “Transaction”).

Information about the Meeting and Receipt of Interim Court Order

Due to the ongoing public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to ensure the health and well-being of our Securityholders, employees, communities and other stakeholders, the Meeting will be conducted virtually via live audio webcast, using the Summit meeting platform at https://meetnow.global/MCZJJLW. Registered Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be able to vote in real time and ask questions at the Meeting by following the instructions set out in the Circular. Beneficial Securityholders who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholders may attend the Meeting as guests. Guests may listen but cannot vote at the Meeting or ask questions. Securityholders should closely review the Meeting Materials to ensure that they are able to cast their vote at and participate in the Meeting.

On January 13, 2022, Great Bear obtained an interim order (the “Interim Order”) from the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the “Court”) authorizing the holding of the Meeting and matters relating to the conduct of the Meeting. At the Meeting, Securityholders will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, pass a special resolution (the “Arrangement Resolution”) to approve an arrangement (the “Arrangement”), in accordance with the terms of an arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) entered into by the Company and Kinross on December 8, 2021, pursuant to which Kinross agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Great Bear common shares (“Great Bear Shares”) that it does not already own by way of a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Plan of Arrangement”) under section 288 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).

The Meeting Materials contain important information regarding the Transaction, how Securityholders can participate and vote at the Meeting, the background that led to the Transaction and the reasons for the unanimous determinations of the special committee of independent directors of the Company (the “Special Committee”) as well as the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) that the Transaction is in the best interests of the Company and is fair to Shareholders. Securityholders should carefully review all of the Meeting Materials as they contain important information concerning the Transaction and the rights and entitlements of Securityholders thereunder. The Meeting Materials have been filed by the Company on SEDAR and are available under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com.

Transaction Details


Under the terms of the Transaction, Great Bear shareholders will receive upfront consideration of approximately C$1.8 billion, representing C$29.00 per Great Bear Share on a fully diluted basis (“Consideration”). Great Bear shareholders will be able to elect to receive the upfront consideration as either (i) C$29.00 in cash or (ii) 3.8564 Kinross shares per Great Bear share, both subject to proration. The upfront consideration will be subject to maximum aggregate cash consideration of approximately C$1.4 billion and a maximum of approximately 80.8 million Kinross shares issuable. Great Bear shareholders who do not elect cash or Kinross shares will be deemed to have elected to receive cash, subject to pro-ration.

In order to make a valid election, registered Securityholders must duly complete, execute and return the letter of transmittal and election form enclosed with the Meeting Materials in accordance with the instructions contained therein by 4:30 p.m. (Vancouver time) on February 9, 2022, or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, no later than 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays in British Columbia) before the adjourned Meeting is reconvened or the postponed Meeting is convened. Beneficial Great Bear shareholders should follow the instructions provided by your intermediary to make your election.

Great Bear shareholders will also receive contingent consideration in the form of contingent value rights (“CVRs”) providing for further potential consideration equal to 0.1330 of a Kinross share per Great Bear Share. The contingent consideration will be payable in connection with Kinross’ public announcement of commercial production at the Dixie project, provided that at least 8.5 million gold ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources have been disclosed.

The Consideration represents a premium of 31% and 40% to the closing price and the volume weighted average price (“VWAP”), respectively, of Great Bear’s shares on the TSX-V for the 20-day period ending December 7, 2021.

The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary deal-protection provisions, including a non-solicitation covenant on the part of Great Bear and a right for Kinross to match any Superior Proposal (as defined in the Arrangement Agreement). The Arrangement Agreement includes a termination fee of C$85 million, payable by Great Bear to Kinross, under certain circumstances (including if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in connection with Great Bear pursuing a Superior Proposal). Directors, officers, and certain shareholders of Great Bear, owning in aggregate approximately 20% of Great Bear’s voting securities have agreed to vote all the securities they own or control in favour of the Transaction.

Reasons for the Arrangement



In evaluating and unanimously approving the Arrangement, the Special Committee and the Board gave careful consideration to the current position and condition and the expected and potential future position and condition of the business of the Company, and all terms of the Arrangement Agreement, including the conditions precedent, representations and warranties and deal protection provisions. The Special Committee and the Board considered a number of factors including, among others, the following:

  • Significant Premium to Great Bear Shareholders – The Consideration represents a premium of 31% and 40% to the closing price and the 20-day VWAP, respectively, of Great Bear’s shares on the TSXV as at December 7, 2021. The total equity value of the Consideration pursuant to the Arrangement are approximately $1.8 billion on a fully diluted basis and $58.2 million on a partially diluted basis, respectively (based on the closing price of Kinross Shares on the TSX on December 8, 2021).
  • Optionality for Great Bear Shareholders – The Great Bear shareholders have the option to receive either (a) $29.00 in cash for each Great Bear share held or (b) 3.8564 Kinross shares for each Great Bear share held, subject to pro-ration.
  • Ability to Participate in Future Potential Growth of Combined Entity – By having the ability to elect to receive Kinross Shares under the Arrangement, and the issuance of CVRs under the Arrangement, Great Bear shareholders will have an opportunity to retain exposure to the Dixie Project, while gaining exposure to Kinross’s diversified portfolio of high-quality operating mines, sector-leading production growth and free cash flow generation in a robust gold price environment. Kinross has the technical, development, operating and financial capabilities to advance the Dixie Project, as a top growth priority, from exploration to development, building on and further enhancing its top tier potential.
  • Benefits to Local Stakeholders – Kinross’ history of strong Indigenous community relationships and industry recognition as a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship, along with its Canadian identity and headquarters in Ontario will facilitate close ties between the Combined Company and the Dixie Project’s local communities, including the Wabauskang and Lac Seul First Nations, which will help to maximize lasting sustainable socio-economic benefits to their local communities and the local area.
  • Business and Industry Risks – The business, operations, assets, financial condition, operating results and prospects of Great Bear are subject to significant uncertainty, including (but not limited to) risks associated with Great Bear’s dependency on the Dixie Project, its only material property, for its future operating revenue, permitting and regulatory approvals, exploration and development risks and commodity price and inflation risks. The Board concluded that the Consideration under the Arrangement is more favourable to Great Bear Shareholders than continuing with Great Bear’s current business plan, including the inherent risks associated with ownership of a single-asset mining company, after taking into account the potential for such business plan to generate value for Great Bear shareholders through the continued exploration and potential development of Great Bear’s Dixie Project and Great Bear’s other exploration assets.

Board Recommendation


The Board unanimously recommends that the Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement Resolution.

Pursuant to the Interim Order, the record date for the Meeting is January 5, 2022 (the “Record Date”) for determining Securityholders who are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. Only registered Securityholders as of January 5, 2022, are entitled to receive the notice of the Meeting (“Notice of Meeting”) and to attend and vote at the Meeting.

In order to become effective, the Arrangement must be approved by at least (i) 66?% of the votes cast by Great Bear shareholders present or represented by proxy at the Meeting; (ii) 66?% of the votes cast by Securityholders, voting together as a single class, present or represented by proxy at the Meeting; and (iii) a majority of the votes cast by Great Bear shareholders other than votes attached to Great Bear shares required to be excluded under Multilateral Instrument 61-101.

Subject to obtaining approval of the Transaction at the Meeting, and the satisfaction of the other customary conditions to completion of the Transaction contained in the Arrangement Agreement, including final approval of the Court and certain regulatory approvals, all as more particular described in the Meeting Materials, the Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

On January 5, 2022, the Commissioner of Competition issued an Advance Ruling Certificate in respect of the Transaction, thereby satisfying the requirement to obtained Competition Act approval. The Toronto Stock Exchange has conditionally approved the listing of the additional Kinross common shares issuable in connection with the Transaction, subject to the delivery of customary closing documentation and the TSX Venture Exchange has confirmed acceptance of the notice of the Transaction by Great Bear.

Securityholder Questions


Securityholders who have questions or need assistance with voting their Great Bear shares, Great Bear options, Great Bear RSUs or Great Bear DSUs should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group by telephone at:

Laurel Hill Advisory Group

North American Toll-Free Number: 1-877-452-7184

Outside of North America Collect Calls Number: 416-304-0211 

Email: assistance@laurelhill.com

 

Advisors and Counsel


GenCap Mining Advisory Ltd. and CIBC World Markets Inc. are acting as co-advisors to Great Bear, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is acting as Great Bear’s legal counsel. BMO Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to the Special Committee.  Cormark Securities Inc. provided capital markets advice to Great Bear.

About Great Bear



Great Bear Resources Ltd. is a Vancouver-based gold exploration company focused on advancing its 100% owned Dixie project in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.  A significant exploration drill program is currently underway to define the mineralization within a large-scale, high-grade disseminated gold discovery made in 2019, the LP Fault.  Additional exploration drilling is also in progress to expand and infill nearby high-grade gold zones, as well as to test new regional targets. 

Great Bear is a committed partner to all stakeholders, with a long-term vision of sustainable exploration to advance the Dixie project in a manner that demonstrates good stewardship of land, operational excellence and accountability.

Investor Contact


Chris Taylor

President & Chief Executive Officer

Tel. (604) 646-8354 

Email. info@greatbearresources.ca

 

Calum Morrison

Vice President Business Development & Chief Financial Officer

Tel. (604) 646-8354 Email.

info@greatbearresources.ca

Website: www.greatbearresources.ca

 

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements


This release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events and the impacts of the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to statements with respect to the consummation and timing of the Transaction; approval by Great Bear’s shareholders; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Transaction; the strengths, characteristics and potential of the Transaction; growth potential and expectations regarding the ability to advance the project, timing, receipt and anticipated effects of court, regulatory and other consents and approvals; the impact of the Transaction on local stakeholders and other anticipated benefits of the Transaction.  By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to failure to receive approval by Great Bear shareholders, the required court, regulatory and other consents and approvals to effect the Transaction, the potential of a third party making a superior proposal to the Transaction, the possibility that the Arrangement Agreement could be terminated under certain circumstances.

Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties’ reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Great Bear undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management’s best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Promoting Trust in Interactive Electronics


“Hey, Alexa! Are You Trustworthy?”

 

Adam Zewe | MIT News
Office

A family gathers around their kitchen island to unbox the digital assistant they just purchased. They will be more likely to trust this new voice-user interface, which might be a smart speaker like Amazon’s Alexa or a social robot like Jibo, if it exhibits some humanlike social behaviors, according to a new study by researchers in MIT’s Media Lab.

The researchers found that family members tend to think a device is more competent and emotionally engaging if it can exhibit social cues, like moving to orient its gaze at a speaking person. In addition, their study revealed that branding — specifically, whether the manufacturer’s name is associated with the device — has a significant effect on how members of a family perceive and interact with different voice-user interfaces.

When a device has a higher level of social embodiment, such as the ability to give verbal and nonverbal social cues through motion or expression, family members increase their interaction. They also interacted with one another more frequently while engaging with the device as a group.

These results could help designers create voice-user interfaces that are more engaging and more likely to be used by members of a family in the home, while also improving the transparency of these devices. The researchers also outline ethical concerns that could come from certain personality and embodiment designs.

“These devices are new technology coming into the home and they are still very under-explored,” says Anastasia Ostrowski, a research assistant in the Personal Robotics Group in the Media Lab, and lead author of the paper. “Families are in the home, so we were very interested in looking at this from a generational approach, including children and grandparents. It was super interesting for us to understand how people are perceiving these, and how families interact with these devices together.”

“The human-centered insights of this work are relevant to the design of all kinds of personified AI devices, from smart speakers and intelligent agents to personal robots,” says Breazeal.

Investigating Interactions

This work grew out of an earlier study where the researchers explored how people use voice-user interfaces at home. At the start of the study, users familiarized themselves with three devices before taking one home for a month. The researchers noticed that people spent more time interacting with a Jibo social robot than they did the smart speakers, Amazon Alexa and Google Home. They wondered why people engaged more with the social robot.

To get to the bottom of this, they designed three experiments that involved family members interacting as a group with different voice-user interfaces. Thirty-four families, comprising 92 people between age 4 and 69, participated in the studies.

The experiments were designed to mimic a family’s first encounter with a voice-user interface. Families were video recorded as they interacted with three devices, working through a list of 24 actions (like “ask about the weather” or “try to learn the agent’s opinions”). Then they answered questions about their perception of the devices and categorized the voice-user interfaces’ personalities.

In the first experiment, participants interacted with a Jibo robot, Amazon Echo, and Google Home, with no modifications. Most found the Jibo to be far more outgoing, dependable, and sympathetic. Because the users perceived that Jibo had a more humanlike personality, they were more likely to interact with it, Ostrowski explains.

 

An Unexpected Result

In the second experiment, researchers set out to understand how branding affected participants’ perspectives. They changed the “wake word” (the word the user says aloud to engage the device) of the Amazon Echo to “Hey, Amazon!” instead of “Hey, Alexa!,” but kept the “wake word” the same for the Google Home (“Hey, Google!”) and the Jibo robot (“Hey, Jibo!”). They also provided participants with information about each manufacturer. When branding was taken into account, users viewed Google as more trustworthy than Amazon, despite the fact that the devices were very similar in design and functionality.

“It also drastically changed how much people thought the Amazon device was competent or like a companion,” Ostrowski says. “I was not expecting it to have that big of a difference between the first and second study. We didn’t change any of the abilities, how they function, or how they respond. Just the fact that they were aware the device is made by Amazon made a huge difference in their perceptions.”

Changing the “wake word” of a device can have ethical implications. A personified name, which can make a device seem more social, could mislead users by masking the connection between the device and the company that made it, which is also the company that now has access to the user’s data, she says.

In the third experiment, the team wanted to see how interpersonal movement affected the interactions. For instance, the Jibo robot turns its gaze to the individual who is speaking. For this study, the researchers used the Jibo along with an Amazon Echo Show (a rectangular screen) with the modified wake word “Hey, Computer,” and an Amazon Echo Spot (a sphere with a circular screen) that had a rotating flag on top which sped up when someone called its wake word, “Hey, Alexa!”

Users found the modified Amazon Echo Spot to be no more engaging than the Amazon Echo Show, suggesting that repetitive movement without social embodiment may not be an effective way to increase user engagement, Ostrowski says.

 

Fostering Deeper Relationships

Deeper analysis of the third study also revealed that users interacted more among themselves, like glancing at each other, laughing together, or having side conversations, when the device they were engaging with had more social abilities.

“In the home, we have been wondering how these systems promote engagement between users. That is always a big concern for people: How are these devices going to shape people’s relationships? We want to design systems that can promote a more flourishing relationship between people,” Ostrowski says.

The researchers used their insights to lay out several voice-user interface design considerations, including the importance of developing warm, outgoing, and thoughtful personalities; understanding how the wake word influences user acceptance; and conveying nonverbal social cues through movement.

With these results in hand, the researchers want to continue exploring how families engage with voice-user interfaces that have varying levels of functionality. For instance, they might conduct a study with three different social robots. They would also like to replicate these studies in a real-world environment and explore which design features are best suited for specific interactions.

 

This article originally appeared in MIT News on January 14, 2022 and
has been Shared by Permission.

Coauthors include Vasiliki Zygouras, a recent Wellesley College graduate working in the Personal Robotics Group at the time of this research; Research Scientist Hae Won Park; Cornell University graduate student Jenny Fu; and senior author Cynthia Breazeal, professor of media arts and sciences, director of MIT RAISE, and director of the Personal Robotics Group, as well as a developer of the Jibo robot. The paper is published in Frontiers in
Robotics and AI.

 

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Does the Fed’s Digital Currency Report Indicate They’re Dropping the Ball?


Image Credit: Eric Steinhauer (Pexels)

The Federal Reserve Continues to Equivocate on Crypto

 

The Federal Reserve avoided taking a stance on whether the U.S. should establish a digital currency as legal tender in a report released Thursday (January 20).  It appears to avoid taking a solid position on crypto in general.  The long-awaited paper does, however provide insight into the agency’s thinking. It then stops short of expectations that the report may have established a timeline or roadmap for the U.S. to evolve its definition of money.

The 40-page paper that was promised to be delivered by late Summer 2021 begins with a discussion of existing forms of money, the current state of the U.S. payment system, and its relative strengths and challenges. It then provides information on the various digital assets that have emerged in recent years, including stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies. The paper then turns to central bank digital currencies (CBDC), focusing on its uses and functions; potential benefits and risks; and related policy considerations.

The Federal Reserve’s initial analysis suggests that a U.S. CBDC, if one were created,

would best serve the needs of the United States by being privacy-protected, intermediated, widely

transferable, and identity-verified. The paper expressly points out throughout that it is not intended to advance a specific policy outcome and takes no position on the ultimate desirability of a U.S. CBDC. The paper says its purpose is to foster conversation and public comment.  “The paper is not intended to advance any specific policy outcome, nor is it intended to signal that the Federal Reserve will make any imminent decisions about the appropriateness of issuing a U.S. CBDC,” the report read.

 

Source: Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation, Federal Reserve

 

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve also indicated that it would not proceed with the issuance of a CBDC without clear support from the executive branch and from Congress, ideally in the form of a specific law authorizing the use. “The introduction of a CBDC would represent a highly significant innovation in American money, and with it, a range of risks and benefits,” the Fed said.

The report solicits stakeholders to provide feedback by answering 22 questions beginning on page 25 of the document

Some of the benefits of a CBDC that were noted in the paper include a safe and convenient form of central bank money as well as fast and inexpensive overseas payments.

As for the risks, the Fed views a central digital currency could create problems maintaining the stability of the financial system and the objectives of monetary policy.

For now, 87 countries are exploring their own CBDCs, and 14, including major economies like China and South Korea, are already in the pilot stage. Nine have already fully launched them. Earlier this month, Fed Chairman Powell spoke  and apologized for the long delay in providing this report. He suggested other monetary challenges were being prioritized ahead of digital currencies causing the delay.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

 

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Sources

https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/money-and-payments-20220120.pdf

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-place-punters-corey-bojorquez-johnny-hekker-on-reserve-covid-19-list

 

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Further Declines in Lithium-Ion Battery Costs Expected


Source: MIT Researchers

Study Reveals Plunge in Lithium-ion Battery Costs

 

David L. Chandler | MIT News Office

 

The cost of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used for phones, laptops, and cars has fallen dramatically over the last three decades and has been a major driver of the rapid growth of those technologies. But attempting to quantify that cost decline has produced ambiguous and conflicting results that have hampered attempts to project the technology’s future or devise useful policies and research priorities.

Now, MIT researchers have carried out an exhaustive analysis of the studies that have looked at the decline in the prices of these batteries, which are the dominant rechargeable technology in today’s world. The new study looks back over three decades, including analyzing the original underlying datasets and documents whenever possible, to arrive at a clear picture of the technology’s trajectory.

The researchers found that the cost of these batteries has dropped by 97 percent since they were first commercially introduced in 1991. This rate of improvement is much faster than many analysts had claimed and is comparable to that of solar photovoltaic panels, which some had considered to be an exceptional case. The new findings are reported today in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, in a paper by MIT postdoc Micah Ziegler and Associate Professor Jessika Trancik.

While it’s clear that there have been dramatic cost declines in some clean-energy technologies such as solar and wind, Trancik says, when they started to look into the decline in prices for lithium-ion batteries, “we saw that there was substantial disagreement as to how quickly the costs of these technologies had come down.” Similar disagreements showed up in tracing other important aspects of battery development, such as the ever-improving energy density (energy stored within a given volume) and specific energy (energy stored within a given mass).

“These trends are so consequential for getting us to where we are right now, and also for thinking about what could happen in the future,” says Trancik, who is an associate professor in MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society. While it was common knowledge that the decline in battery costs was an enabler of the recent growth in sales of electric vehicles, for example, it was unclear just how great that decline had been. Through this detailed analysis, she says, “we were able to confirm that yes, lithium-ion battery technologies have improved in terms of their costs, at rates that are comparable to solar energy technology, and specifically photovoltaic modules, which are often held up as kind of the gold standard in clean energy innovation.”

It may seem odd that there was such great uncertainty and disagreement about how much lithium-ion battery costs had declined and what factors accounted for it, but in fact, much of the information is in the form of closely held corporate data that is difficult for researchers to access. Most lithium-ion batteries are not sold directly to consumers — you can’t run down to your typical corner drugstore to pick up a replacement battery for your iPhone, your PC, or your electric car. Instead, manufacturers buy lithium-ion batteries and build them into electronics and cars. Large companies like Apple or Tesla buy batteries by the millions, or manufacture them themselves for prices that are negotiated or internally accounted for but never publicly disclosed.

In addition to helping to boost the ongoing electrification of transportation, further declines in lithium-ion battery costs could potentially also increase the batteries’ usage in stationary applications as a way of compensating for the intermittent supply of clean energy sources such as solar and wind. Both applications could play a significant role in helping to curb the world’s emissions of climate-altering greenhouse gases. “I can’t overstate the importance of these trends in clean energy innovation for getting us to where we are right now, where it starts to look like we could see rapid electrification of vehicles and we are seeing the rapid growth of renewable energy technologies,” Trancik says. “Of course, there’s so much more to do to address climate change, but this has really been a game-changer.”

The new findings are not just a matter of retracing the history of battery development but of helping to guide the future, Ziegler points out. Combing through all of the published literature on the subject of the cost reductions in lithium-ion cells, he found “very different measures of the historical improvement. And across a variety of different papers, researchers were using these trends to make suggestions about how to further reduce costs of lithium-ion technologies or when they might meet cost targets.” But because the underlying data varied so much, “the recommendations that the researchers were making could be quite different.” Some studies suggested that lithium-ion batteries would not fall in cost quickly enough for certain applications, while others were much more optimistic. Such differences in data can ultimately have a real impact on the setting of research priorities and government incentives.

The researchers dug into the original sources of the published data, in some cases finding that certain primary data had been used in multiple studies that were later cited as separate sources or that the original data sources had been lost along the way. And while most studies have focused only on the cost, Ziegler says it became clear that such a one-dimensional analysis might underestimate how quickly lithium-ion technologies improved; in addition to cost, weight and volume are also key factors for both vehicles and portable electronics. So, the team added a second track to the study, analyzing the improvements in these parameters as well.

“Lithium-ion batteries were not adopted because they were the least expensive technology at the time,” Ziegler says. “There were less expensive battery technologies available. Lithium-ion technology was adopted because it allows you to put portable electronics into your hand, because it allows you to make power tools that last longer and have more power, and it allows us to build cars” that can provide adequate driving range. “It felt like just looking at dollars per kilowatt-hour was only telling part of the story,” he says.

That broader analysis helps to define what may be possible in the future, he adds: “We’re saying that lithium-ion technologies might improve more quickly for certain applications than would be projected by just looking at one measure of performance. By looking at multiple measures, you get essentially a clearer picture of the improvement rate, and this suggests that they could maybe improve more rapidly for applications where the restrictions on mass and volume are relaxed.”

Trancik adds the new study can play an important role in energy-related policymaking. “Published data trends on the few clean technologies that have seen major cost reductions over time, wind, solar, and now lithium-ion batteries, tend to be referenced over and over again, and not only in academic papers but in policy documents and industry reports,” she says. “Many important climate policy conclusions are based on these few trends. For this reason, it is important to get them right. There’s a real need to treat the data with care, and to raise our game overall in dealing with technology data and tracking these trends.”

“Battery costs determine price parity of electric vehicles with internal combustion engine vehicles,” says Venkat Viswanathan, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, who was not associated with this work. “Thus, projecting battery cost declines is probably one of the most critical challenges in ensuring an accurate understanding of adoption of electric vehicles.”

Viswanathan adds that “the finding that cost declines may occur faster than previously thought will enable broader adoption, increasing volumes, and leading to further cost declines. … The datasets curated, analyzed and released with this paper will have a lasting impact on the community.”

 

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Release – Capstone Green Energy (NASDAQ:CGRN) Systems To Provide 3.4 MW of Power for Renewable Energy Operation in California

 



Capstone Green Energy (NASDAQ:CGRN) Systems To Provide 3.4 MW of Power for Renewable Energy Operation in California

Research, News, and Market Data on Capstone Green Energy

 

3.4 MW Low Emission Energy System will Run on 100% Renewable Fuel.

VAN NUYS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 21, 2022 / Capstone Green Energy Corporation (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN), (“Capstone,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”), a global leader in carbon reduction and on-site resilient green energy solutions, today announced that its West Coast distributor, Cal Microturbine, has secured a contract to provide a 3.4 MW microturbine based system for a renewable energy customer in southern California.

The system, which will be configured with three Capstone Green Energy C1000S Signature Series microturbines and one C400S Signature Series microturbine, will provide onsite power at the customer’s facility using 100% renewable fuel.

“This order is indicative of the shift we are seeing to more renewable fueled energy projects in recent years,” stated Jen Derstine, Vice President of Marketing and Distribution at Capstone Green Energy. “In fiscal 2019, renewables made up 7% of our overall business and in fiscal 2021 they made up 13% of our business. That should continue to grow based on incentives, access to renewable fuels and improvements in renewable energy technologies,” concluded Ms. Derstine.

The customer initially considered leveraging reciprocating engines for the project but ultimately selected Capstone Green Energy’s microturbines due to their best-in-class rating for low emissions and low life cycle costs.

“Capstone’s autonomous microturbine technology is an ideal fit for renewable fueled projects,” said Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Cal Microturbine. “The ultra-low emissions technology and low maintenance design allow our clients to execute on their green energy initiatives without the need for a costly onsite operator.”

“On an environmental scale, Capstone microturbines provide can be an important tool in the fight against climate change,” said Darren Jamison, Chief Executive Officer of Capstone Green Energy. “On a business strategy level, particularly for those businesses in California, our technology makes meeting air quality regulations significantly less complicated and less costly than many alternatives currently on the market,” Mr. Jamison concluded.

About Capstone Green Energy
Capstone Green Energy (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) is a leading provider of customized microgrid solutions and on-site energy technology systems focused on helping customers around the globe meet their environmental, energy savings, and resiliency goals. Capstone Green Energy focuses on four key business lines. Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, it offers rental solutions utilizing its microturbine energy systems and battery storage systems, comprehensive Factory Protection Plan (FPP) service contracts that guarantee life-cycle costs, as well as aftermarket parts. Energy Generation Technologies (EGT) are driven by the Company’s industry-leading, highly efficient, low-emission, resilient microturbine energy systems offering scalable solutions in addition to a broad range of customer-tailored solutions, including hybrid energy systems and larger frame industrial turbines. The Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) business line designs and installs microgrid storage systems creating customized solutions using a combination of battery technologies and monitoring software. Through Hydrogen & Sustainable Products (H2S), Capstone Green Energy offers customers a variety of hydrogen products, including the Company’s microturbine energy systems.

For customers with limited capital or short-term needs, Capstone offers rental systems; for more information, contact: rentals@CGRNenergy.com. To date, Capstone has shipped over 10,000 units to 83 countries and estimates that, in FY21, it saved customers over $217 million in annual energy costs and approximately 397,000 tons of carbon. Total savings over the last three fiscal years are estimated to be approximately $698 million in energy savings and approximately 1,115,100 tons of carbon savings.

For more information about the Company, please visit www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com. Follow Capstone Green Energy on TwitterLinkedInInstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations for green initiatives and execution on the Company’s growth strategy and other statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, and strategies. The Company has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “goal” and similar terms and phrases, but such words, terms and phrases are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability of credit and compliance with the agreements governing the Company’s indebtedness; the Company’s ability to develop new products and enhance existing products; product quality issues, including the adequacy of reserves therefor and warranty cost exposure; intense competition; financial performance of the oil and natural gas industry and other general business, industry and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to adequately protect its intellectual property rights; and the impact of pending or threatened litigation. For a detailed discussion of factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results, please see the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the disclosures under “Risk Factors” in those filings. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances or future events or for any other reason.

CONTACT:
Capstone Green Energy
Investor and investment media inquiries:
818-407-3628
ir@CGRNenergy.com

SOURCE: Capstone Green Energy Corporation

Release – Great Bear Announces the Filing of its Management Information Circular



Great Bear Announces the Filing of its Management Information Circular in Connection with its Special Meeting to Approve Acquisition by Kinross

Research, News, and Market Data on Great Bear Resources

 

January 20, 2022 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – Great Bear Resources Ltd. (the “Company” or “Great Bear”, TSX-V: GBR; OTCQX: GTBAF) announced today that it has mailed and filed a management information circular and related materials (the “Meeting Materials”) for its special meeting (the “Meeting”) of shareholders, optionholders, restricted share unit (“RSU”) holders, and deferred share unit (“DSU”) holders of Great Bear (collectively, “Securityholders”) to be held on February 14, 2022, in connection with the proposed acquisition of Great Bear by Kinross Gold Corporation (“Kinross”, TSX: K; NYSE: KGC) announced on December 8, 2021 (the “Transaction”).

Information about the Meeting and Receipt of Interim Court Order

Due to the ongoing public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in order to ensure the health and well-being of our Securityholders, employees, communities and other stakeholders, the Meeting will be conducted virtually via live audio webcast, using the Summit meeting platform at https://meetnow.global/MCZJJLW. Registered Securityholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be able to vote in real time and ask questions at the Meeting by following the instructions set out in the Circular. Beneficial Securityholders who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholders may attend the Meeting as guests. Guests may listen but cannot vote at the Meeting or ask questions. Securityholders should closely review the Meeting Materials to ensure that they are able to cast their vote at and participate in the Meeting.

On January 13, 2022, Great Bear obtained an interim order (the “Interim Order”) from the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the “Court”) authorizing the holding of the Meeting and matters relating to the conduct of the Meeting. At the Meeting, Securityholders will be asked to consider and, if deemed advisable, pass a special resolution (the “Arrangement Resolution”) to approve an arrangement (the “Arrangement”), in accordance with the terms of an arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) entered into by the Company and Kinross on December 8, 2021, pursuant to which Kinross agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Great Bear common shares (“Great Bear Shares”) that it does not already own by way of a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Plan of Arrangement”) under section 288 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).

The Meeting Materials contain important information regarding the Transaction, how Securityholders can participate and vote at the Meeting, the background that led to the Transaction and the reasons for the unanimous determinations of the special committee of independent directors of the Company (the “Special Committee”) as well as the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) that the Transaction is in the best interests of the Company and is fair to Shareholders. Securityholders should carefully review all of the Meeting Materials as they contain important information concerning the Transaction and the rights and entitlements of Securityholders thereunder. The Meeting Materials have been filed by the Company on SEDAR and are available under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com.

Transaction Details


Under the terms of the Transaction, Great Bear shareholders will receive upfront consideration of approximately C$1.8 billion, representing C$29.00 per Great Bear Share on a fully diluted basis (“Consideration”). Great Bear shareholders will be able to elect to receive the upfront consideration as either (i) C$29.00 in cash or (ii) 3.8564 Kinross shares per Great Bear share, both subject to proration. The upfront consideration will be subject to maximum aggregate cash consideration of approximately C$1.4 billion and a maximum of approximately 80.8 million Kinross shares issuable. Great Bear shareholders who do not elect cash or Kinross shares will be deemed to have elected to receive cash, subject to pro-ration.

In order to make a valid election, registered Securityholders must duly complete, execute and return the letter of transmittal and election form enclosed with the Meeting Materials in accordance with the instructions contained therein by 4:30 p.m. (Vancouver time) on February 9, 2022, or, if the Meeting is adjourned or postponed, no later than 72 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays in British Columbia) before the adjourned Meeting is reconvened or the postponed Meeting is convened. Beneficial Great Bear shareholders should follow the instructions provided by your intermediary to make your election.

Great Bear shareholders will also receive contingent consideration in the form of contingent value rights (“CVRs”) providing for further potential consideration equal to 0.1330 of a Kinross share per Great Bear Share. The contingent consideration will be payable in connection with Kinross’ public announcement of commercial production at the Dixie project, provided that at least 8.5 million gold ounces of measured and indicated mineral resources have been disclosed.

The Consideration represents a premium of 31% and 40% to the closing price and the volume weighted average price (“VWAP”), respectively, of Great Bear’s shares on the TSX-V for the 20-day period ending December 7, 2021.

The Arrangement Agreement provides for customary deal-protection provisions, including a non-solicitation covenant on the part of Great Bear and a right for Kinross to match any Superior Proposal (as defined in the Arrangement Agreement). The Arrangement Agreement includes a termination fee of C$85 million, payable by Great Bear to Kinross, under certain circumstances (including if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in connection with Great Bear pursuing a Superior Proposal). Directors, officers, and certain shareholders of Great Bear, owning in aggregate approximately 20% of Great Bear’s voting securities have agreed to vote all the securities they own or control in favour of the Transaction.

Reasons for the Arrangement



In evaluating and unanimously approving the Arrangement, the Special Committee and the Board gave careful consideration to the current position and condition and the expected and potential future position and condition of the business of the Company, and all terms of the Arrangement Agreement, including the conditions precedent, representations and warranties and deal protection provisions. The Special Committee and the Board considered a number of factors including, among others, the following:

  • Significant Premium to Great Bear Shareholders – The Consideration represents a premium of 31% and 40% to the closing price and the 20-day VWAP, respectively, of Great Bear’s shares on the TSXV as at December 7, 2021. The total equity value of the Consideration pursuant to the Arrangement are approximately $1.8 billion on a fully diluted basis and $58.2 million on a partially diluted basis, respectively (based on the closing price of Kinross Shares on the TSX on December 8, 2021).
  • Optionality for Great Bear Shareholders – The Great Bear shareholders have the option to receive either (a) $29.00 in cash for each Great Bear share held or (b) 3.8564 Kinross shares for each Great Bear share held, subject to pro-ration.
  • Ability to Participate in Future Potential Growth of Combined Entity – By having the ability to elect to receive Kinross Shares under the Arrangement, and the issuance of CVRs under the Arrangement, Great Bear shareholders will have an opportunity to retain exposure to the Dixie Project, while gaining exposure to Kinross’s diversified portfolio of high-quality operating mines, sector-leading production growth and free cash flow generation in a robust gold price environment. Kinross has the technical, development, operating and financial capabilities to advance the Dixie Project, as a top growth priority, from exploration to development, building on and further enhancing its top tier potential.
  • Benefits to Local Stakeholders – Kinross’ history of strong Indigenous community relationships and industry recognition as a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship, along with its Canadian identity and headquarters in Ontario will facilitate close ties between the Combined Company and the Dixie Project’s local communities, including the Wabauskang and Lac Seul First Nations, which will help to maximize lasting sustainable socio-economic benefits to their local communities and the local area.
  • Business and Industry Risks – The business, operations, assets, financial condition, operating results and prospects of Great Bear are subject to significant uncertainty, including (but not limited to) risks associated with Great Bear’s dependency on the Dixie Project, its only material property, for its future operating revenue, permitting and regulatory approvals, exploration and development risks and commodity price and inflation risks. The Board concluded that the Consideration under the Arrangement is more favourable to Great Bear Shareholders than continuing with Great Bear’s current business plan, including the inherent risks associated with ownership of a single-asset mining company, after taking into account the potential for such business plan to generate value for Great Bear shareholders through the continued exploration and potential development of Great Bear’s Dixie Project and Great Bear’s other exploration assets.

Board Recommendation


The Board unanimously recommends that the Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement Resolution.

Pursuant to the Interim Order, the record date for the Meeting is January 5, 2022 (the “Record Date”) for determining Securityholders who are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Meeting. Only registered Securityholders as of January 5, 2022, are entitled to receive the notice of the Meeting (“Notice of Meeting”) and to attend and vote at the Meeting.

In order to become effective, the Arrangement must be approved by at least (i) 66?% of the votes cast by Great Bear shareholders present or represented by proxy at the Meeting; (ii) 66?% of the votes cast by Securityholders, voting together as a single class, present or represented by proxy at the Meeting; and (iii) a majority of the votes cast by Great Bear shareholders other than votes attached to Great Bear shares required to be excluded under Multilateral Instrument 61-101.

Subject to obtaining approval of the Transaction at the Meeting, and the satisfaction of the other customary conditions to completion of the Transaction contained in the Arrangement Agreement, including final approval of the Court and certain regulatory approvals, all as more particular described in the Meeting Materials, the Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

On January 5, 2022, the Commissioner of Competition issued an Advance Ruling Certificate in respect of the Transaction, thereby satisfying the requirement to obtained Competition Act approval. The Toronto Stock Exchange has conditionally approved the listing of the additional Kinross common shares issuable in connection with the Transaction, subject to the delivery of customary closing documentation and the TSX Venture Exchange has confirmed acceptance of the notice of the Transaction by Great Bear.

Securityholder Questions


Securityholders who have questions or need assistance with voting their Great Bear shares, Great Bear options, Great Bear RSUs or Great Bear DSUs should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group by telephone at:

Laurel Hill Advisory Group

North American Toll-Free Number: 1-877-452-7184

Outside of North America Collect Calls Number: 416-304-0211 

Email: assistance@laurelhill.com

 

Advisors and Counsel


GenCap Mining Advisory Ltd. and CIBC World Markets Inc. are acting as co-advisors to Great Bear, and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP is acting as Great Bear’s legal counsel. BMO Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to the Special Committee.  Cormark Securities Inc. provided capital markets advice to Great Bear.

About Great Bear



Great Bear Resources Ltd. is a Vancouver-based gold exploration company focused on advancing its 100% owned Dixie project in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.  A significant exploration drill program is currently underway to define the mineralization within a large-scale, high-grade disseminated gold discovery made in 2019, the LP Fault.  Additional exploration drilling is also in progress to expand and infill nearby high-grade gold zones, as well as to test new regional targets. 

Great Bear is a committed partner to all stakeholders, with a long-term vision of sustainable exploration to advance the Dixie project in a manner that demonstrates good stewardship of land, operational excellence and accountability.

Investor Contact


Chris Taylor

President & Chief Executive Officer

Tel. (604) 646-8354 

Email. info@greatbearresources.ca

 

Calum Morrison

Vice President Business Development & Chief Financial Officer

Tel. (604) 646-8354 Email.

info@greatbearresources.ca

Website: www.greatbearresources.ca

 

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements


This release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events and the impacts of the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to statements with respect to the consummation and timing of the Transaction; approval by Great Bear’s shareholders; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Transaction; the strengths, characteristics and potential of the Transaction; growth potential and expectations regarding the ability to advance the project, timing, receipt and anticipated effects of court, regulatory and other consents and approvals; the impact of the Transaction on local stakeholders and other anticipated benefits of the Transaction.  By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to failure to receive approval by Great Bear shareholders, the required court, regulatory and other consents and approvals to effect the Transaction, the potential of a third party making a superior proposal to the Transaction, the possibility that the Arrangement Agreement could be terminated under certain circumstances.

Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties’ reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors, among other things, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding); discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Great Bear undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management’s best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Does the Feds Digital Currency Report Indicate They re Dropping the Ball


Image Credit: Eric Steinhauer (Pexels)

The Federal Reserve Continues to Equivocate on Crypto

 

The Federal Reserve avoided taking a stance on whether the U.S. should establish a digital currency as legal tender in a report released Thursday (January 20).  It appears to avoid taking a solid position on crypto in general.  The long-awaited paper does, however provide insight into the agency’s thinking. It then stops short of expectations that the report may have established a timeline or roadmap for the U.S. to evolve its definition of money.

The 40-page paper that was promised to be delivered by late Summer 2021 begins with a discussion of existing forms of money, the current state of the U.S. payment system, and its relative strengths and challenges. It then provides information on the various digital assets that have emerged in recent years, including stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies. The paper then turns to central bank digital currencies (CBDC), focusing on its uses and functions; potential benefits and risks; and related policy considerations.

The Federal Reserve’s initial analysis suggests that a U.S. CBDC, if one were created,

would best serve the needs of the United States by being privacy-protected, intermediated, widely

transferable, and identity-verified. The paper expressly points out throughout that it is not intended to advance a specific policy outcome and takes no position on the ultimate desirability of a U.S. CBDC. The paper says its purpose is to foster conversation and public comment.  “The paper is not intended to advance any specific policy outcome, nor is it intended to signal that the Federal Reserve will make any imminent decisions about the appropriateness of issuing a U.S. CBDC,” the report read.

 

Source: Money and Payments: The U.S. Dollar in the Age of Digital Transformation, Federal Reserve

 

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve also indicated that it would not proceed with the issuance of a CBDC without clear support from the executive branch and from Congress, ideally in the form of a specific law authorizing the use. “The introduction of a CBDC would represent a highly significant innovation in American money, and with it, a range of risks and benefits,” the Fed said.

The report solicits stakeholders to provide feedback by answering 22 questions beginning on page 25 of the document

Some of the benefits of a CBDC that were noted in the paper include a safe and convenient form of central bank money as well as fast and inexpensive overseas payments.

As for the risks, the Fed views a central digital currency could create problems maintaining the stability of the financial system and the objectives of monetary policy.

For now, 87 countries are exploring their own CBDCs, and 14, including major economies like China and South Korea, are already in the pilot stage. Nine have already fully launched them. Earlier this month, Fed Chairman Powell spoke  and apologized for the long delay in providing this report. He suggested other monetary challenges were being prioritized ahead of digital currencies causing the delay.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

 

Suggested Reading



Powell’s Apparent Shift on Digital Currency



Digital Currency Report from the Fed is Past Due





The First Cryptocurrency Exchange Hacked in 2022



Walmart’s Metaverse, NFT, and Crypto Plans

 

Sources

https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/money-and-payments-20220120.pdf

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-place-punters-corey-bojorquez-johnny-hekker-on-reserve-covid-19-list

 

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