Note 5. Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

Operating Leases

The Company leased office space for a 12-month term from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023 with a monthly payment of approximately $8,000. The future minimum lease payments required under the non-cancellable operating leases for 2023 totaled $23,000. Total rent expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 was approximately $23,000 and $70,000, respectively. Total rent expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was approximately $23,000 and $70,000, respectively.

Project Task Statements (Purchase Orders)

The Company has approximately $3.1 million in outstanding project task statement (PTS) commitments to BEA relating to the R&D work being conducted under the Strategic Partnership Project Agreement and Cooperative Research and Development Agreement at INL (see Note 6. Research and Development Costs). Performance of work under these agreements may be terminated at any time by either party, without any liability, after the effective date of termination, upon giving a thirty-day written notice under the Strategic Partnership Project Agreement and a sixty-day written notice under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, to the other party. In the event of termination, the Company shall be responsible for BEA’s costs (including the closeout costs), through the effective date of termination, but in no event shall the Company’s cost responsibility exceed the total estimated cost stated in each PTS and any subsequent modification to the PTS.