UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

(Rule 14a-101)

PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(A) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Filed by the Registrant ☒    Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ☐

Check the appropriate box:

FUEL TECH, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement

Dear Fellow Stockholders,

This year’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Fuel Tech, Inc. will be held at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at the offices of Fuel Tech, Inc., 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555. We will be reporting on Fuel Tech’s activities and you will have an opportunity to ask questions about our operations. As part of our contingency planning regarding the coronavirus (or COVID-19), we are preparing for the possibility that the Annual Meeting may be held solely by means of remote communication. If we take this step, we will announce the decision to do so in advance through a public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and details will be available on our website.

Whether or not you expect to attend in person, the return of the enclosed proxy card as soon as possible or the submission of a proxy by telephone or the Internet by following the instructions on the proxy card would be greatly appreciated and will ensure that your shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting. If you do attend the Annual Meeting, you may, of course, withdraw your previously submitted proxy should you wish to vote in person.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and management of Fuel Tech, Inc., I would like to thank you for your continued support and confidence.

Sincerely,

Vincent J. Arnone

Chairman and CEO

Fuel Tech, Inc.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD MAY 20, 2021

To the Stockholders of Fuel Tech, Inc.:

The annual meeting of stockholders of Fuel Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Fuel Tech), will be held Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. local time at the offices of Fuel Tech, Inc., 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555 (Annual Meeting), to consider and vote on the following items, each of which is explained in the attached proxy statement (Proxy Statement):

Only holders of the Fuel Tech’s common stock of record as of the close of business on March 25, 2021 are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. It is important that your shares be represented at the Annual Meeting. For that reason, we ask that you promptly sign, date and mail the enclosed proxy card in the return envelope provided or submit a proxy by telephone or the Internet by following the instructions on the proxy card. Stockholders who attend the Annual Meeting may revoke their previously submitted proxy and vote in person.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Sincerely yours,

Bradley W. Johnson

Vice President, General Counsel and

Secretary

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

WE URGE YOU TO COMPLETE, DATE, AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AND RETURN IT IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE OR SUBMIT A PROXY BY TELEPHONE OR THE INTERNET BY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PROXY CARD. YOUR PROXY MAY BE REVOKED AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE TIME IT IS VOTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Annual Meeting to be Held on May 20, 2021. Fuel Tech’s Proxy Statement and Annual Report to Stockholders are available at: www.envisionreports.com/FTEK.

This Proxy Statement contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and reflect Fuel Tech’s current expectations regarding future growth, results of operations, cash flows, performance and business prospects, and opportunities, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Fuel Tech has tried to identify forward-looking statements by using words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” and similar expressions, but these words are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements. These statements are based on information currently available to Fuel Tech and are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in Fuel Tech’s Annual Report on Form 10-K in Item 1A under the caption “Risk Factors,” which could cause Fuel Tech’s actual growth, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance and business prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Fuel Tech undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, or changed circumstances or for any other reason. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in Fuel Tech’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

FUEL TECH, INC.

27601 Bella Vista Parkway

Warrenville, Illinois 60555

PROXY STATEMENT

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Mailed on or about April 5, 2021

Why am I receiving these materials?

This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of Fuel Tech, Inc. (the Company, Fuel Tech, we, us and our) for use at our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., local time, and any adjournments or postponements thereof (the Annual Meeting). The time, place and purposes of the Annual Meeting are stated in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders accompanying this proxy statement.

Why do the proxy materials contain information regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials?

Pursuant to rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), we have opted to provide access to our proxy materials primarily over the Internet, which will allow us to capture costs and reduce the environmental impact of printing and mailing proxy materials. Proxy materials for the Annual Meeting, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and this proxy statement, are available over the Internet by accessing www.envisionreports.com/FTEK. While we have elected to make our proxy materials available online, you may request a printed set of the proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request an additional printed copy are available at www.envisionreports.com/FTEK. You also can obtain a printed copy of this proxy statement, free of charge, by writing to: Secretary, c/o Fuel Tech, Inc., 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555, or by submitting a request via email to equityadministration@ftek.com or by telephone at 630-845-4500.

Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?

The expense of soliciting proxies, including the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the notice, proxy statement and proxy, will be borne by us. We may pay persons holding our common stock (Common Stock) for expenses incurred in sending proxy materials to their principals. In addition to solicitation of proxies by mail, our directors, officers and employees, without additional compensation, may solicit proxies by telephone, electronically via e-mail and personal interview. We may also retain a proxy solicitation firm to assist in the solicitation of proxies.

What voting rights do I have as a Stockholder?

On each matter to be voted on, you have one vote for each outstanding share of our Common Stock you own as of March 25, 2021, the record date for the Annual Meeting. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on March 25, 2021 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On this record date, there were 30,257,306 shares of Common Stock outstanding and entitled to vote. Stockholders do not have the right to vote cumulatively in the election of directors.

How do I vote?

If you are a stockholder of record, you can vote: (i) in person at the Annual Meeting; (ii) by signing and mailing in your proxy card in the enclosed envelope (if you elected to receive printed materials); (iii) by submitting a proxy by telephone by calling 1-800-652-8683; or, (iv) via the Internet at www.envisionreports.com/FTEK. Proxies submitted via the telephone or Internet must be received by 1:00 a.m. Central Time on May 20, 2021. More detailed instructions are included on the proxy card. In order to submit a proxy via the telephone or Internet, please follow the instructions on the proxy card.

If you are a stockholder of record, the proxy holders will vote your shares based on your directions. If you sign and return your proxy card, but do not properly direct how your shares of Common Stock should be voted, the proxy holders will vote “FOR” the director nominees, “FOR” the ratification of RSM US LLP, and “FOR” the approval, on an advisory basis, of the Company’s executive compensation. The proxy holders will use their discretion on any other proposals and other matters that may be brought before the Annual Meeting.

If you hold shares of Common Stock through a broker or nominee, you may vote in person at the Annual Meeting only if you have obtained a signed proxy from your broker or nominee giving you the right to vote your shares.

Can I revoke or change my vote after I submit a proxy?

Yes. You can revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before the proxy is exercised at the Annual Meeting. This can be done by either submitting another properly completed proxy card with a later date, sending a written notice to our Secretary (we must receive your new proxy card or written notice before the Annual Meeting begins), or you may attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. You should be aware that simply attending the Annual Meeting will not automatically revoke your previously submitted proxy. Instead, you must notify a Fuel Tech representative at the Annual Meeting of your desire to revoke your proxy and vote in person.

What vote is required to approve each of the proposals?

Election of Directors (Proposal 1). The nominees receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected (plurality). Under plurality voting, directors who receive the most “for” votes are elected; there is no “against” option, and votes that are “withheld” or simply not cast are disregarded in the count. If a nominee receives a plurality of votes but does not, however, receive a majority of votes, that fact will be considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in any future decision on nominations. A proxy card marked “Withhold” or “For All Except” with respect to the election of one or more directors will not be voted with respect to the director or directors indicated. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors.

Auditor Ratification (Proposal 2). Ratification of the selection of RSM US LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy. A proxy card marked “Abstain” with respect to this proposal will not be voted, although it will be counted for purposes of determining the total number of shares entitled to vote at the meeting. Accordingly, if you “Abstain” from voting, it will have the same effect as an “Against” vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the ratification.

Approval, on an advisory basis, of the Company’s executive compensation (Proposal 3). The executive compensation advisory vote will be decided by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy. A proxy card marked “Abstain” with respect to this proposal will not be voted, although it will be counted for purposes of determining the total number of shares entitled to vote at the meeting. Accordingly, if you “Abstain” from voting, it will have the same effect as an “Against” vote. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the proposal. Although the vote is non-binding, the Board and the Compensation Committee will review the voting results in connection with their ongoing evaluation of our executive compensation program.

What constitutes a quorum?

A quorum of stockholders will be present at the Annual Meeting if at least one-third of the aggregate voting power of Common Stock outstanding on the record date is represented at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy. With 30,257,306 shares outstanding as of the close of business on the record date, stockholders representing at least 10,085,768 shares will be required to establish a quorum. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted towards the quorum requirement.

Can Stockholders make proposals for the 2021 Annual Meeting?

Stockholders may present proposals that may be proper subjects for inclusion in the proxy statement and for consideration at an Annual Meeting. To be included in the proxy statement for this year’s Annual Meeting, the Company must have received such proposals no later than November 26, 2020.

Pursuant to our By-Laws, stockholders may present proposals that are proper subjects for consideration at an annual meeting. The By-Laws require all stockholders who intend to make proposals at an annual meeting to submit their proposals to the Company within specific dates in order to be eligible for consideration at an annual meeting. See Stockholder Communications with the Board on page 32, and Stockholder Proposals for 2022 Annual Meeting on page 32, for more details about this By-Laws provision. To be eligible for consideration at the 2021 Annual Meeting, proposals that were not submitted for inclusion in the proxy statement by November 26, 2020 must have been received by the Company no earlier than January 15, 2021 and no later than February 14, 2021. We did not receive any stockholder proposals for the Annual Meeting.

Table of Contents

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT

AGENDA ITEM NO. 1 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Nominees

Fuel Tech’s stockholders elect our members annually. Vincent J. Arnone, Douglas G. Bailey, Sharon L. Jones, James J. Markowsky, Thomas S. Shaw, Jr., and Dennis L. Zeitler were each Fuel Tech’s directors for its six-member Board of Directors and were elected by our stockholders at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to serve for a one year term expiring at the 2021 Annual Meeting.

We are asking you to vote for the election of five nominees as directors of Fuel Tech at the 2021 Annual Meeting. All of the nominees were recommended by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. The term of office of each director is until the next annual meeting or until a successor is duly elected or if before then a director resigns, retires or is removed by the stockholders. The nominees are Vincent J. Arnone, Douglas G. Bailey, Sharon L. Jones, Thomas S. Shaw, Jr., and Dennis L. Zeitler.

In the opinion of the Board, with the exception of Mr. Arnone, all director nominees satisfy the independence requirements of NASD Rule 5605(a)(2). Detail concerning directors’ compensation is set out below under the captions Executive Compensation and Director Compensation. The following table sets forth certain additional information with respect to the nominees.

Each of the nominees identified above are the nominees of the Board for election as directors at the Annual Meeting. Biographical information, including qualifications, regarding each of the nominees is set forth below.

Availability

The nominees have all consented to stand for election and to serve, if elected. Should one or more of these nominees become unavailable or decline to accept election, votes will be cast for a substitute nominee, if any, designated by the Board on recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. If no substitute nominee is designated prior to the Annual Meeting, the individuals named as proxies on the enclosed proxy card will exercise their discretion in voting the shares of Common Stock that they represent. That discretion may also include reducing the size of the Board and not electing a substitute.

Plurality Voting

A motion will be made at the Annual Meeting for the election as directors of the five nominees. Under Delaware law and our bylaws, a vote for a plurality of the shares of Common Stock voting is required for the election of directors. Under plurality voting, directors who receive the most “for” votes are elected; there is no “against” option, and votes that are “withheld” or simply not cast are disregarded in the count. If a nominee receives a plurality of votes but does not, however, receive a majority of votes, that fact will be considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in any future decision on nominations.

The affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast is required for the election of directors. The Board recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees.

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    1

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF FUEL TECH

Biographical information is presented below concerning nominees to our Board and our “Named Executive Officers” (or NEOs). Each of Ellen T. Albrecht, Vincent J. Arnone and William E. Cummings, Jr. are an Executive Officer and NEO.

DIRECTORS

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FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    3

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    4

NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Vincent J. Arnone, See director entry above.

Ellen T. Albrecht, 48, was appointed to serve in an interim capacity as Acting Treasurer and Controller and Principal Financial Officer of the Company effective March 14, 2021. Prior to the time of her aforementioned appointment, Ms. Albrecht served as the Company’s Vice President, Operations Planning and Control since May 2012; and also previously served as the Company’s acting Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer from March 2010 to July 2010; Vice President, Controller since January 2007; Controller since February 2004; Accounting Manager since May 2000; Senior Accountant since May 1998; and Accountant since July 1996.

William E. Cummings, Jr., 64, has been Senior Vice President, Sales since July 2016. Previously, Mr. Cummings had served as Senior Vice President, APC Sales since January 2009; Vice President, Sales since April 2006; Vice President, Air Pollution Control Sales since May 2000; Director, Utility Sales since April 1998; and Director, Eastern Region since 1994.

James M. Pach, 39, prior to his resignation effective March 13, 2020 served as Vice President, Treasurer, Controller and Principal Financial Officer of Fuel Tech since March, 2018; previously, he was Acting Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of Fuel Tech from November, 2017. Prior to such time, Mr. Pach served as the Company’s Assistant Treasurer and Controller from January, 2016. Prior to joining Fuel Tech, Mr. Pach was Assistant Corporate Controller for Century Aluminum Company (CAC) since 2015, and Senior Corporate Accounting Manager for CAC since 2013, Assurance Senior Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) from 2012, and Assurance Manager for PwC from 2010.

There are no family relationships between any of the directors or executive officers.

PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS AND STOCK OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of Common Stock known to Fuel Tech as of March 8, 2021 by (i) each person known to own beneficially more than five percent of the outstanding Common Stock; (ii) each director or nominee of Fuel Tech; (iii) each of Fuel Tech’s Named Executive Officers; and (iv) all directors and all officers as a group.

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    5

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

We use a combination of cash and stock-based incentive compensation to attract and retain qualified candidates to serve on our Board. In setting director compensation, we consider the role of the directors, the amount of time that directors expend in fulfilling their duties as well as the expertise required of Board members as well as, in the case of stock-based incentive compensation, the financial performance of the Company and the availability of shares under the Fuel Tech, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan.

Cash Compensation for Directors

Each non-employee director receives an annual cash retainer of $50,000 for Board service, payable in arrears. Effective March 1, 2020, the Board adopted a ten percent (10%) reduction in the annual cash retainer as a cost savings measure. As of the date of this proxy statement, such cost reduction remains in effect. In addition, annual cash retainer fees, payable in arrears, for service as Lead Director and Board committee chairperson are: Lead Director-$10,000; Audit Committee Chair-$10,000; Compensation Chair-$7,500; and Nominating & Corporate Governance Chair-$5,000. Directors are not paid fees for attendance of Board or committee meetings, however, a director receives $1,200 for each day of additional service requested by the Chairman.

Equity Compensation for Directors

As of February 25, 2021 and February 26, 2020, the Board determined there would be no equity compensation for non-employee directors for 2020, respectively.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION IN FISCAL YEAR 2020

The following table shows for the Fuel Tech non-employee directors all compensation paid in 2020 on account of fees and equity awards. Directors employed by Fuel Tech or its subsidiaries receive no compensation for their service as directors, and accordingly, during any time he has been employed by Fuel Tech, Mr. Arnone has not received any cash fees or equity awards for his participation on the Board. Disclosure regarding the compensation of Mr. Arnone for fiscal 2020 is contained under the caption Summary of NEO Compensation below.

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NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS OUTSTANDING STOCK OPTIONS AT 2020 FISCAL YEAR END

The following table shows the outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2020 for non-employee directors as of such date, all of which are fully vested except as noted below.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

Relationships and transactions in which Fuel Tech and its directors and executive officers or their immediate family members are participants or have other conflicts of interest are reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee. Although our Audit Committee has not adopted a written policy for the review and approval of related party transactions, in determining whether to approve or ratify any such transaction, the Audit Committee considers, in addition to such other factors it may deem appropriate in the circumstances, whether (i) the transaction is fair and reasonable to the Company, (ii) under all of the circumstances the transaction is in, or not inconsistent with, the Company’s best interests, and (iii) the transaction will be on terms no less favorable to the Company than could have been obtained in an arms’ length transaction with an unrelated third party. The Audit Committee, in its discretion, may request information from any party to facilitate its consideration of a matter. However, the Audit Committee does not allow a director to participate in any review, approval or ratification of any transaction if he or she, or his or her immediate family member, has a direct or indirect material interest in the transaction.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND RELATED MATTERS

Board Leadership Structure

Our Board has been, and continues to be, a proponent of Board independence. As a result, our corporate governance structures and practices provide for a strong, independent Board and include several independent oversight mechanisms, including a lead independent director, only independent directors serving as committee chairs and the directors’ and committees’ ability to engage independent consultants and advisors.

The Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are composed entirely of independent directors. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for recommending the appointment of a lead independent director, which is appointed by the Board.

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Thomas S. Shaw, Jr. has served and been reappointed as the lead independent director since February 2011. Mr. Shaw brings considerable expertise from his past business experience as well as essential corporate governance experience from his current and prior service on private and public company boards. The intended purpose of establishing the position of lead independent director is to expand lines of communication between the Board and members of management. It is not intended to reduce the free and open access and communications that each independent board member has with other board members and members of management.

Among other things, the current Charter of the Lead Director provides that as the Lead Director, Mr. Shaw shall: (a) facilitate the activities of the other non-employee/independent directors; (b) advise the Chairman as to an appropriate schedule of Board meetings seeking to ensure that the non- employee/independent directors can perform their duties responsibly while not interfering with the flow of Company operations; (c) advise the Chairman and the Corporate Secretary with input as to: the preparation of the agendas for Board and Board committee meetings, the information sent to the Board pertaining to those meetings, and approval of Board meeting agendas; (d) make recommendations to the Chairman regarding the retention of consultants who report directly to the Board; (e) interview along with the Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and make recommendations to that committee and the Board regarding Board director candidates; (f) coordinate, develop the agenda for, and moderate executive sessions of the Board’s independent directors, as well as plenary sessions of the Board where the Chairman is not present; (g) act as principal liaison between the independent directors and the Chairman; and (h) coordinate any performance evaluation of the Chairman deemed appropriate by the Board. That charter also provides that each year, no later than the day following the annual stockholder meeting, the Board will review the Lead Director charter for recommended changes and the propriety of continuing the Lead Director role

To complement this structure, the Board believes it is important to retain its flexibility to allocate the responsibilities of the offices of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in the best interests of the Company. The Board believes that the decision as to who should serve in those roles, and whether such offices should be combined or separate, should be assessed periodically by the Board, and that the Board should not be constrained by a rigid policy mandate when making these determinations. Additionally, the Board believes that it needs to retain the ability to balance the independent Board structure with the flexibility to appoint as Chairman of the Board someone with hands-on knowledge of, and experience in, the operations of the Company.

Effective as of September 1, 2017, the Board determined that the positions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer would be held by Vincent J. Arnone. Mr. Arnone has served as a key executive at the Company since 2003 where he gained unique insights into our business and the complex challenges we face. The Board continues to believe that Mr. Arnone is uniquely positioned to identify, lead and oversee the execution of our future strategic initiatives. The Board also believes that the established role of the lead independent director will continue to help ensure the effective independent functioning of the Board in fulfilling its oversight role. Therefore, in light of Mr. Arnone’s past tenure and his unique knowledge of the long-term goals of the Company, and because the lead independent director is empowered to play a significant role in the Board’s oversight, the Board continues to believe that it is advantageous to continue to combine the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Board’s risk oversight approach is intended to support management’s achievement of organizational objectives, including strategic objectives, to improve long-term organizational performance and enhance stockholder value. A fundamental part of risk oversight is not only

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understanding the risks a company faces and what steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for a company. The involvement of all directors in setting the Company’s business strategy is a key part of its assessment of management’s approach to risk taking to achieve its organizational objectives, and also a determination of what makes up an appropriate level of risk for the Company. The Board regularly reviews information regarding the Company’s credit, liquidity, operations, and strategic initiatives as well as the risks associated with each.

While the Board has the ultimate risk oversight responsibility, various committees of the Board also have responsibility for risk oversight. The Audit Committee oversees financial risk (see Report of Audit Committee below). The Audit Committee also reviews and approves all related party transactions and reviews potential conflict of interest matters. In addition, the Audit Committee acts as the Company’s Qualified Legal Compliance Committee to receive reports of material violations of the securities laws, breaches of fiduciary duty or similar material violations from legal counsel representing the Company and practicing before the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing the management of risks relating to the Company’s compensation plans and arrangements. It strives to consider and approve compensation programs that encourage a level of risk-taking behavior under those programs that are consistent with the Company’s business strategy (see Report of Compensation Committee below). The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the management of risks relating to Board and executive succession planning and the composition of the Board. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire Board of Directors is regularly informed through committee reports about such risks.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Board, directly and through its committees, continuously monitors emerging best practices in corporate governance and has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines. A copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines can be found online at www.ftek.com. You also can obtain a printed copy of this document, free of charge, by writing to: Secretary, c/o Fuel Tech, Inc., 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines have evolved over time, as customary practice and legal requirements change, or as our Board deems appropriate from time to time.

Director Independence

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and the NASDAQ listing standards provide that at least a majority of the members of the Board must be independent, or free of any material relationship with the Company, other than his or her relationship as a director or Committee member. A director is not independent if he or she fails to satisfy the standards for independence under the NASDAQ listing standards, the rules of the SEC, or any other applicable laws, rules and regulations.

The Board conducts an annual review of our directors’ independence. In this review, the Board considers transactions, relationships and arrangements between the Company and each director or immediate family member of the director. The Board also considers transactions, relationships and arrangements between Company senior management and each director or immediate family member of the director.

On February 25, 2021, the Board performed its director independence review for 2021. As a result of this review, the Board determined that all of our non-management director nominees are independent and satisfy NASDAQ independence requirements. Mr. Arnone is not considered independent because of his employment with the Company.

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Board and Committee Meetings

During 2020, there were 18 meetings of the Board, nine meetings of the Audit Committee, six meetings of the Compensation Committee, and six meetings of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each director of Fuel Tech attended at least 90% of Board and committee meetings of which he/she was a member during the period of her/his directorship. Each of the then nominated directors attended the annual meeting of stockholders in 2020. Fuel Tech does not have a policy on director attendance at stockholders’ meetings, but each of the nominated directors is encouraged to attend the 2021 annual meeting.

Executive Sessions

In 2020 the independent Fuel Tech directors held four executive sessions in connection with scheduled Board meetings. The independent directors who make up the membership of each of the Board’s current committees, Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance held executive sessions in connection with committee meetings as follows: Audit—seven, Compensation—two, and Nominating and Corporate Governance—one. The policy of the Board on executive sessions is that the Board will hold not less than two executive sessions of the independent directors annually in connection with scheduled meetings. Each committee of the Board will hold executive sessions when the committee deems it appropriate. Members of management and non-independent directors do not attend such executive sessions, except when invited to provide information.

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COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board has three standing committees that conduct regular business: Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of the Board committee charters is available for viewing on the Fuel Tech web site at www.ftek.com.

Independence and Financial Expertise. Our Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the current independence standards of NASDAQ and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Our Board has determined that Mr. Zeitler, in light of his significant experience in positions requiring financial oversight responsibility, qualifies as an Audit Committee “financial expert” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K and that all members of the Audit Committee satisfy the NASDAQ financial knowledge and sophistication as described in NASD Rule 5605(c)(2)(A).

Primary Responsibilities. The Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things: (1) appointing, retaining, compensating, evaluating and terminating our independent registered public accounting firm and approving in advance any audit or non-audit engagement or relationship between us and such auditor; (2) approving the overall scope of the audit; (3) assisting the Board in monitoring the integrity of our financial statements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, the independent registered public accounting firm’s performance, and our internal audit function and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (4) annually reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm’s report describing the independent registered public accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, peer review, or regulatory review of the independent registered public accounting firm; (5) discussing the annual audited financial and quarterly statements with management and the independent registered public accounting firm; (6) discussing earnings press releases, as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies; (7) discussing with management the Company’s major risk exposures and processes to monitor and control those exposures, including risk assessment and risk management policies; (8) meeting separately, periodically, with management, internal auditors and the independent registered public accounting firm; (9) reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response; (10) setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered public accounting firm; (11) reviewing with management cyber-security needs; (12) annually reviewing the adequacy of the Audit Committee’s written charter; (13) reviewing with management any legal matters that may have a material impact on us and our financial statements; (14) reviewing the operation of the internal audit function including the quality and adequacy of internal controls and significant reports to management; and (15) reporting regularly to the full Board.

Charter. The Audit Committee is governed by the Audit Committee Charter, adopted by the Board. A copy of the Committee Charter can be found online at www.ftek.com by clicking on the Corporate Governance link under the “About Us” tab.

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Independence. The Compensation Committee is composed entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements under the NASDAQ standards and the rules of the SEC.

Primary Responsibilities. The Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things: (1) reviewing key employee compensation policies, plans and programs; (2) reviewing and approving the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers; (3) reviewing and approving employment contracts and other similar arrangements between us and our executive officers; (4) reviewing and consulting with the chief executive officer on the selection of officers and evaluation of executive performance and other related matters; (5) administration of stock plans and other incentive compensation plans; (6) overseeing compliance with any applicable compensation reporting requirements of the SEC; (7) retaining consultants to advise the committee on executive compensation practices and policies; (8) establishing and periodically reviewing succession plans for our executive officers and others; (9) determining stock ownership guidelines for the CEO and other executive officers and monitoring compliance with such guidelines; and (10) handling such other matters that are specifically delegated to the Compensation Committee by the Board from time to time.

Charter. The Compensation Committee is governed by the Compensation Committee Charter, adopted by the Board. A copy of the Committee Charter can be found online at www.ftek.com by clicking on the Corporate Governance link under the “About Us” tab.

Independence. The NCGC is composed entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements under the NASDAQ standards and the rules of the SEC.

Primary Responsibilities. The NCGC is responsible for, among other things: (1) developing, recommending and reviewing the adequacy of the corporate governance principles applicable to us; (2) developing and recommending to the Board compensation for Board members; (3) reviewing our compliance with state and federal corporate governance laws and regulations and with the NASDAQ corporate governance listing requirements; (4) making recommendations to the Board regarding the size and composition of the Board; (5) establishing criteria for the selection of new

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directors to serve on the Board and reviewing the appropriate skills and characteristics required of directors; (6) identifying, screening and recommending nominees to be proposed by us for election as directors at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or to fill vacancies; (7) considering and reviewing the qualifications of any nominations of director candidates validly made by stockholders; (8) reviewing the committee structure of the Board and recommending, on an annual basis, directors to serve as members of each committee; (9) establishing criteria for, overseeing the process for, and leading the annual performance self-evaluation of the Board and each committee; (10) reviewing any director resignation letter tendered in accordance with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, and evaluating and recommending to the Board whether such resignation should be accepted; and (11) overseeing the Company’s strategy on corporate social responsibility and sustainability, and developing related policies and procedures.

Charter. The NCGC is governed by the NCGC Charter, adopted by the Board. A copy of the Committee Charter can be found online at www.ftek.com by clicking on the Corporate Governance link under the “About Us” tab.

CODE OF BUSINESS ETHICS AND CONDUCT

The Board has adopted our Code of Ethical Business Conduct and our Officer Code of Ethics, each of which are available online at can be found online at www.ftek.com by clicking on the Corporate Governance link under the “About Us” tab.

To enhance employee awareness of our Code of Ethics and Conduct, we conduct periodic ethics and compliance training for all of our employees to provide them with the knowledge necessary to maintain our high standards of ethics and compliance. In addition, we provide employees with the ability to leave reports, anonymously, on an Ethics hotline maintained by an unaffiliated third party, and those reports are provided to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, as well as members of management designated to serve as Ethics Representatives. Fuel Tech’s Ethics Representatives also assist in the administration of, and encourage adherence with, our Code of Ethical Business Conduct.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Report of Compensation Committee

We are considered a “smaller reporting company” for purposes of the SEC’s executive compensation and other disclosure rules. In accordance with such rules, we are required to provide a Summary Compensation Table and an Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End Table, as well as limited narrative disclosures. The Compensation Committee (the Committee) has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis appearing immediately below in this Proxy Statement. Based on this review and discussion, the Committee has recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis set forth below be included in this Proxy Statement. The Committee reviewed its charter and determined that no changes were required to the charter.

By the Compensation Committee:

S.L. Jones, Chair

J.J. Markowsky, T.S. Shaw and D.L. Zeitler

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Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

During 2020, all members of the Compensation Committee were independent directors, and no member was an employee or former employee of Fuel Tech. Also during 2020, none of Fuel Tech’s executive officers served on the Compensation Committee (or its equivalent) or board of directors of another entity whose executive officer served on the Committee.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

The Committee is responsible for reviewing and, to the extent provided for in the Committee’s Charter, approving in advance of implementation, all incentive plans, sales commission plans and salary actions and bonuses for Vice President level and above officers of Fuel Tech or new or incumbent employees that have base salaries in excess of $175,000 per year including the Named Executive Officers (NEOs) listed in the Summary Compensation Table below. In the case of the salary actions described above, the Committee makes recommendations to the Board and the Board approves such salary actions. The Committee periodically reviews Fuel Tech compensation practices, including the methodologies for setting total compensation for those employees, including NEOs. As discussed in more detail below, from time to time the Committee also may supplement its exercise of business judgment in compensation matters with market information pertaining to Fuel Tech’s compensation levels against comparable companies in its industry and across multiple industries including the use of peer group data (also see Use of Peer Group section below). However, the Committee exercises its independent judgment when making decisions on compensation matters, including when rewarding individual performance. The responsibilities of the Committee are described more fully in its charter at www.ftek.com.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

Fuel Tech’s compensation philosophy is to promote long-term, sustainable stockholder value by incentivizing individual performance, as well as promoting overall financial performance of the Company on an annual and long-term basis.

With that compensation philosophy in mind, our compensation programs are designed to achieve the following objectives:

Compensation Elements

Our executive compensation program has as a primary purpose to attract, retain and motivate the highly talented individuals whose enterprise will enable us to succeed. Typically, the key components of that program include three elements: base salary, short-term incentives and long-term incentives, as more fully described below. Among those three elements, from year to year, when considering its goal of promoting the overall financial performance of the Company on an annual and long-term basis, the use by the Committee of any or the extent of use of the short-term and long-term incentives described below may vary, but when used in the compensation packages for NEOs retain the pay-for-performance characteristics described below.

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Base Salary

Base salaries requiring review by the Committee under its Charter are reviewed by the Committee on recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Board, except that the base salary of the Chief Executive Officer is reviewed and recommended by the Committee itself without the Chief Executive Officer being present during such deliberations or Committee voting and approved by the Board. In its performance of these activities the Committee acts in its business judgment on what it understands to be fair, reasonable and equitable compensation in view of Fuel Tech’s requirements for recruiting and retention in a highly competitive market. To assist in that determination, the Committee may refer to compensation consultant reports as to general market information and benchmarking data from a peer group of companies approved by the Committee and also:

Short Term Incentives

Corporate Incentive Plan

On February 25, 2021 and March 9, 2020, respectively, the Compensation Committee adopted a Corporate Incentive Plan (CIP) to provide all U.S. or Canadian based employees (excluding sales personnel such as Mr. Cummings) with the opportunity to earn an annual cash bonus based upon employee performance and Fuel Tech’s achievement of a certain level of operating income as discussed below. As such, Ms. Albrecht and Mr. Arnone were each participants in the CIP. Potential cash awards under the CIP are designed to focus employees on the achievement of both positive earnings growth for Fuel Tech as well as on their own individual performance.

Both in 2021 and 2020, the CIP was structured as follows:

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APC Officer Sales Commission Plan

The APC Officer and National Sales Manager Sales Commission Plan (APC Plan) provided for sales commission payments to be made to Fuel Tech’s Senior Vice President, Sales. Under the APC Plan, Fuel Tech would pay to such officer a commission equal to a specified percentage of the as-sold contract value of all sales of products and services in Fuel Tech’s APC product line in the United States and Canada. Mr. Cummings is Fuel Tech’s Senior Vice President, Sales. For 2019 and 2020, Mr. Cummings earned $48,471 and $35,788 in sales commission under the APC Plan.

FUEL CHEM^® Officer Sales Commission Plan

The FUEL CHEM Officer Sales Commission Plan (FUEL CHEM Plan) provides for sales commission payments to be made to Fuel Tech’s Senior Vice President, Sales. Under the FUEL CHEM Plan, Fuel Tech would pay to such officer a commission equal to a specified percentage of all net revenue realized for customer units located in the United States and Canada. Mr. Cummings is Fuel Tech’s Senior Vice President, Sales. For 2019 and 2020, Mr. Cummings earned $69,782 and $31,003 in sales commission under the FUEL CHEM Plan.

Long-Term Incentives

Fuel Tech’s long-term equity incentive awards are made pursuant to the Fuel Tech, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (2014 LTIP). The purpose of the 2014 LTIP is to further the interests of Fuel Tech and its stockholders by providing long- term incentives (a) to attract and retain employees, consultants and directors who will contribute to our long-range success and (b) that align the interests of 2014 LTIP participants with those of the stockholders of the Company. The 2014 LTIP allows for a variety of types of awards that may be granted to participants in the form of non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards, bonuses or other forms of share-based or non-share-based awards or combinations thereof (as each of those types of awards is defined in the 2014 LTIP). Participants in the 2014 LTIP may be Fuel Tech’s directors, officers, employees, consultants or advisors (except consultants or advisors in capital-raising transactions) as the directors determine are key to the success of Fuel Tech’s business.

The Company predominantly uses RSUs for equity awards for employees under the 2014 LTIP (all above described stock option awards and restricted stock unit awards collectively referred to as

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Equity Awards). Except for Equity Awards granted to the CEO, Equity Awards are determined by the Committee based upon recommendations from Fuel Tech’s CEO. Equity Awards for the CEO have been determined by the Committee with no participation of the CEO — the CEO is not present during the Committee’s decisional deliberations or votes pertaining to CEO Equity Awards.

Under the FTIP, all outstanding options that are not vested will become immediately vested in the event that there is with respect to Fuel Tech, a “change-in-control.” Under the FTIP, a change-in-control generally is defined as taking place if: (a) any person or affiliated group becomes the beneficial owner of 51% or more of Fuel Tech’s outstanding securities, (b) in any two-year period, persons in the majority of the Fuel Tech Board of Directors cease being so unless the nomination of the new directors was approved by a majority of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of such period, (c) a business combination takes place where the shares of Fuel Tech are converted to cash, securities or other property, but not in a transaction in which the stockholders of Fuel Tech have proportionately the same share ownership before and after the transaction, or (d) the stockholders of Fuel Tech approve of a plan of liquidation or dissolution of Fuel Tech.

Under the 2014 LTIP, “change-in-control” generally is defined as:

Under the 2014 LTIP, in the event of a “change-in-control,” the Committee may take any of the following actions with respect to employee non-executive performance RSU equity awards granted under the 2014 LTIP either by including such terms in the applicable award agreement or by taking such actions in connection with the change-in-control:

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The Committee is not required to treat all award recipients or awards granted to any individual in the same manner.

NEO Long-Term Incentive

For 2020, the Company entered into an executive performance RSU agreement with Messrs. Arnone and Pach on February 26, 2020. Pursuant to such 2020 Executive Performance RSU Award Agreements, neither Mr. Arnone nor Mr. Pach received any RSU award as the Company failed to achieve the minimum of $1 million in operating income for 2020 that was required to trigger a RSU award.

2021 Executive Performance RSU Long-Term Incentive

Effective February 25, 2021 the Committee authorized the Company to enter into a 2021 Executive Performance RSU Award Agreement (the 2021 Executive Performance Agreement) with certain officers, including Ms. Albrecht and Mr. Arnone, pursuant to which they will have the opportunity to earn the amount of RSUs shown in the table below. The amount of RSUs awarded, if any, will be based on the Company’s achievement of varying levels of operating income before the impact of incentive pay (but including adjustments to reflect the payment of sales commissions) in fiscal 2021, as determined by the Company, in its sole discretion. Neither Ms. Albrecht nor Mr. Arnone will be entitled to any such RSUs unless the Company achieves a minimum of $1 million in operating income in 2021. If awarded, such RSUs will vest in equal amounts (i.e.,1/3, 1/3 and 1/3) over three years commencing one year after the grant date based on continued service.

Post Agreement Effective Date Event Treatment

Under the 2021 Executive Performance RSU Agreement, in the event of a Participant’s (as defined in the 2021 Executive Performance RSU Agreement) termination before the grant determination date, Executive Performance RSUs will be granted as follows: if the termination is due to death, disability or the termination of the Participant’s employment without cause, the Participant will be awarded a number of vested Executive Performance RSUs on the determination date based on the percentage of target grants that would have been earned at the date of the termination, pro-rated based on the number of days of employment completed by the Participant in the measurement period; if the termination is for any other reason, no Executive Performance RSUs will be awarded.

In the event of a Participant’s termination, vested and unvested Executive Performance RSUs that have been granted will be treated as follows: if the termination is for cause, all such vested and unvested RSUs will be forfeited; if the termination is for death or total disability, all such unvested RSUs will vest; and if the termination is for any other reason, all unvested RSUs will be forfeited.

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Executive Performance RSUs may be granted, and will be granted, in the event of a change-in-control (as defined in the 2021 Executive Performance RSU Agreement) before the grant determination date, as follows: the Committee shall determine to award none, some or all of the Executive Performance RSUs, and whether to accelerate the vesting of those RSUs it so awards, however, the Committee must award a minimum number of RSUs based on the percentage of target grants that would have been earned at the date of the change-in-control, pro-rated based on the number of months of employment completed by the Participant in the measurement period, divided by 36.

Unvested Executive Performance RSUs that have been granted under the 2021 Agreement will vest upon a change-in-control unless the Company is the surviving entity or the surviving entity effectively assumes the unvested RSUs. If, however, these RSUs do not vest upon a change-in-control, but the Participant is terminated without cause, or the Participant terminates for good reason (as defined in the 2021 Executive Performance RSU Agreement) or for death or disability within two years of the change-in-control, then the RSUs will nonetheless vest.

Material Compensation Actions

As of February 26, 2020, the Committee took the following actions:

As of December 16, 2020 the Committee approved the 2021 APC Officer and National Sales Manager and 2021 FUEL CHEM Officer Commission Plans for Mr. Cummings. In addition, the Committee approved the payment of a one-time merit bonus in the amount of $40,000 to Ms. Albrecht in recognition of Ms. Albrecht’s assumption of additional duties following her acceptance of the position of Acting Treasurer and Controller and Principal Financial Officer on March 14, 2020.

As of February 25, 2021, the Committee took the following actions:

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THE ROLE OF SAY-ON-PAY VOTES

The Company provides its stockholders with the opportunity to cast an annual advisory vote on executive compensation (“say-on-pay proposal”). At the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on June 16, 2020, over 88% of the votes cast on the say-on-pay proposal at the meeting were voted in favor of the proposal. The Compensation Committee evaluated these results and concluded that this vote reflected our stockholders’ support of the Company’s approach to executive compensation. Accordingly, in 2020, the Company did not change its approach to executive compensation or make any significant changes to its executive compensation programs based on stockholder feedback. The Compensation Committee expects to continue to consider the outcome of the Company’s say-on-pay votes when making future compensation decisions for the Named Executive Officers.

BENCHMARKING, CONSULTANTS AND THE USE OF PEER GROUPS

Fuel Tech has from time to time made use of the services of a third-party compensation consultant, formerly Frederick W. Cook & Co., Inc. (Cook) and prospectively, CODA Advisors, LLC (Coda) , each a compensation consultant, to address matters of compensation and benefits, and to identify peer group companies based on industry, markets and size. Fuel Tech recognizes that compensation practices must be competitive in the marketplace and marketplace information is one of the many factors that are considered in assessing the reasonableness of compensation programs. The Compensation Committee retains the discretion to make all final decisions relative to matters of compensation and benefits. The Committee engaged in benchmarking for its NEOs based on the use of data from the peer group of companies shown below. The overall compensation programs for the Company’s NEOs are designed to reward achievement of performance and to attract, retain, and motivate them in an increasingly competitive talent market. The Committee examined compensation data for the peer group of companies shown below to stay current with market pay practices and trends and to understand the competitiveness of our overall executive compensation programs and their various elements. The Committee used this benchmarking data for informational purposes. It does not formulaically target a specific percentile or make significant compensation decisions based on market data or peer group benchmarking data alone, which avoids a “ratcheting up” impact. The Committee uses performance as a primary driver of compensation levels.

The peer group of companies listed below was chosen due to their inclusion in the clean technology or alternative energy industries segment and, for some, common listing in certain third-party clean technology indices that also include Fuel Tech, which indices consider market capitalization, revenues and company size as factors.

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As described above, from time to time, the Committee may supplement its business judgment pertaining to its consideration of Fuel Tech compensation matters, including salary amounts, short-term and long-term incentive plan minimum and incremental payout thresholds and targets, with a variety of market information obtained from a number of different sources including, among other things, the Committee’s general knowledge regarding compensation matters, information from one or more independent compensation consultants, peer company data, benchmarking related to that data, information obtained from independent search firms, available shares under the Company’s 2014 LTIP, historical and current Fuel Tech compensation data, and historical, current and projected industry and Fuel Tech financial operational performance data and trends.

Ownership Guidelines

Fuel Tech does not have a stock ownership policy for its executive officers. In 2020, the Committee considered whether to implement a stock ownership policy for its executive officers, but determined it was not advisable to do so at this time given the substantial number of equity grants that would be required to meet minimal ownership guidelines given Fuel Tech’s market capitalization and the high degree of volatility in the price of Common Stock throughout 2020.

Insider Trading and Hedging Policies

Fuel Tech prohibits all employees from speculating in Fuel Tech securities, which includes, but is not limited to: short selling; and the purchase and sale or sale and purchase, in non-exempt transactions, of Common Stock within periods of less than six months. Fuel Tech prohibits trading in Common Stock during closed periods from the end of a quarterly period until the third day following the announcement of earnings for that quarterly period. Fuel Tech does not have a formal policy on hedging.

Equity Grant Practices

As discussed in the Long-Term Incentives portion of the Compensation Elements section above, long- term incentives in the form of stock options or RSUs have been issued by Fuel Tech previously under the FTIP and currently under the 2014 LTIP in accordance with compensation policy as determined by the Committee from time to time. Under current policy, based on the level of the employee position, new employee stock options or RSUs or some combination thereof may be granted at the first Committee meeting following employment. However, from time to time, an option or RSU award may be authorized by the Committee to be granted and effective on a specified date or event, such as on the first date of employment or after a performance measurement time period. The price of all options granted is the mean of the high and low stock prices reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. for the effective date of grant. Also, under the current policies of the Committee: typically, all employees’ options have a term of ten years and are subject to a four-year vesting schedule as follows: 50% of the options vest two years from the grant date and 25% vest on each subsequent year on that date. Vesting of an RSU award (RSU Award) is controlled by the terms of the vesting schedule in the RSU Award Agreement. Vesting can vary from RSU Award to RSU Award, and may be based on the passage of time, the achievement of pre-determined performance criteria or any combination of the foregoing. For time-vested RSUs, the Company’s typical vesting schedule is one-third of the RSU Award after one year, one-third after the second year, and one-third after the third year. Depending on the circumstances, the Company may use a different vesting schedule whether for time-vested RSUs or other RSU Awards.

The Committee may grant options or RSU’s to existing employees on a periodic basis based on the level of the employee position and as well as certain of the factors or performance measurement

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    21

factors enumerated in the Long-Term Incentives portion of the Compensation Elements section above. While there are no mandatory levels established for the quantity of options or RSUs to be granted, Fuel Tech has used historical practice and employee job level as two of the factors it considers.

Retirement Benefits

Fuel Tech has no defined benefit pension plan. Fuel Tech has a 401(k) Plan covering substantially all employees. The 401(k) Plan is an important factor in attracting and retaining employees as it provides an opportunity to accumulate retirement funds. Fuel Tech’s 401(k) Plan currently provides for annual deferral of up to $19,000 for individuals until age 50, $25,000 for individuals 50 and older, or as allowed by the Internal Revenue Code.

Fuel Tech annually matches 50% of employee contributions up to 6% of the employee’s salary, or a maximum annual match of $7,650. Fuel Tech may also make discretionary profit sharing contributions to the 401(k) Plan on an annual basis. Matching and profit sharing contributions vest over a three-year period.

Welfare Benefits

In order to attract and retain employees, Fuel Tech provides certain welfare benefit plans to its employees, which include medical and dental insurance benefits, group term life insurance, voluntary life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance and personal accident insurance. These benefits are not provided to non-employee directors.

Employment Agreements; Potential Payments upon Termination or Change-in-Control

Ms. Albrecht and Messrs. Arnone and Cummings, are each party to an employment agreement with Fuel Tech effective as follows: July 8, 1996 for Ms. Albrecht; September 20, 2010 for Mr. Arnone; and October 31, 1998 for Mr. Cummings. These agreements are for indefinite terms, for disclosure and assignment of inventions to Fuel Tech, protection of Fuel Tech proprietary data, covenants against certain competition and arbitration of disputes. These employment agreements are for terms of employment “at will” and do not provide for severance payments. Under Mr. Arnone’s employment agreement, he is entitled to continuation of base salary and benefits, and incentive bonus amounts earned under the applicable short-term incentive plan for the year of termination, for up to one year or sooner on finding comparable employment, after involuntary termination not for cause within one year of a “change-in-control” as described in the table below.

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The following table quantifies potential payments that could be made to NEOs under various circumstances involving termination or change-in-control assuming such event occurred on December 31, 2020:

Indemnification and Insurance

Under the Fuel Tech Certificate of Incorporation and the terms of individual indemnity agreements with the Company’s directors and officers, indemnification is afforded Fuel Tech’s directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Such indemnification also includes payment of any costs that an indemnitee incurs because of claims against the indemnitee and provides for advancement to the indemnitee of those costs, including legal fees. Fuel Tech is not, however, obligated to provide indemnity and costs where it is adjudicated that the indemnitee did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief that the indemnitee’s actions were in the best interests of Fuel Tech, or, in the case of a settlement of a claim, such determination is made by the Board.

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Fuel Tech carries insurance providing indemnification, under certain circumstances, to all of its directors and officers for claims against them by reason of, among other things, any act or failure to act in their capacities as directors or officers. The current annual premium for these policies is $190,125.

No payments have been made for such indemnification to any past or present director or officer by Fuel Tech or under any insurance policy.

Compensation Recovery Policies

Fuel Tech’s Board maintains a policy that it will evaluate in appropriate circumstances whether to seek the reimbursement of certain compensation awards paid to an executive officer, if such executive engages in misconduct that caused or partially caused a restatement of financial results, in accordance with Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. If the Board determines that circumstances warrant, Fuel Tech will seek to recover appropriate portions of the executive officer’s compensation for the relevant period, as provided by law.

Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation

Fuel Tech reviews and considers the deductibility of executive compensation under the requirements of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m). The Company believes that compensation paid under the Company’s incentive plans is generally fully deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Accounting for Equity-Based Compensation

On January 1, 2006, Fuel Tech began accounting for the equity-based compensation issued under the FTIP in accordance with the requirements of FASB ASC Topic No. 718. Fuel Tech accounting for equity-based compensation under the 2014 LTIP also is in accordance with the requirements of FASB ASC Topic No. 718.

Summary of NEO Compensation

NEO compensation consists of three primary elements: base salary, a short-term incentive plan based on financial performance (whether under a CIP or a sales commission plan, as applicable), and long-term incentives.

The Committee determined the amounts to be paid to each NEO for fiscal 2020 as follows:

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SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The table below sets forth information concerning fiscal years 2020 and 2019 compensation awarded to, earned by or paid in all capacities to the Named Executive Officers whose total compensation exceeded $100,000.

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO

NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

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OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED IN FISCAL YEAR 2020

FOR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

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OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2020 FISCAL YEAR-END

FOR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

At December 31, 2020 the following RSUs were outstanding. See the text under the caption Equity Grant Practices section in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above.

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AGENDA ITEM NO. 2 APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

On August 20, 2020, the Audit Committee approved the appointment of RSM US LLP (RSM) as Fuel Tech’s independent registered accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2020. We are asking you to ratify that appointment. RSM has served in this capacity since its July 2010 appointment and has become knowledgeable about Fuel Tech’s operations and accounting practices and is well qualified to act in the capacity of independent registered accountants. In making the appointment, the Audit Committee reviewed RSM’s performance along with its reputation for integrity, overall competence in accounting and auditing and independence. Representatives of RSM will be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement, if they wish to do so, and be available to respond to questions.

Audit Fees

Fees for professional services provided by RSM in each of the last two fiscal years by category were:

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

Fuel Tech’s policy and procedure is that each engagement for an audit or non-audit service is approved in advance by the Audit Committee.

The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares voting is required for the approval of this proposal.

The Board recommends a vote FOR this proposal.

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Report of the Audit Committee

Management is primarily responsible for Fuel Tech’s internal controls and financial reporting. RSM US LLP (RSM), Fuel Tech’s independent auditors, are responsible for performing independent audits of Fuel Tech’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with the auditing standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. These audits serve as the basis for RSM’s opinions included in annual reports to stockholders as to whether the financial statements fairly present, in all material respects, Fuel Tech’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and whether management’s assessment of the effectiveness of Fuel Tech’s internal control over financial reporting is fairly stated in all material respects. The Audit Committee (Committee) is responsible for the review and oversight of these processes.

Management has represented that Fuel Tech’s 2020 financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The Committee has reviewed and discussed with both management and RSM the 2020 financial statements, management’s report on internal control over financial reporting and RSM’s report on financial reporting. The Committee has also discussed with RSM the matters required to be discussed by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; Audit Standard No. 16.

The Committee has received the written disclosures and correspondence from RSM required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Committee concerning independence, and has represented that RSM is independent from Fuel Tech. The Committee has discussed with RSM their independence and concluded that the provision of the services described above under the caption “Audit Fees” is compatible with maintaining their independence.

The Committee reviewed its charter and, based on such review, made amendments to the charter to address the challenges posed by cyber-security.

Based on the representations, reviews and discussions referred to above, the Committee recommended to the Board that Fuel Tech’s audited consolidated financial statements be included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

By the Audit Committee:

D.L. Zeitler, Chairman

S. L. Jones, J.J. Markowsky and T.S. Shaw

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AGENDA ITEM NO. 3 ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

In accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd- Frank Act”), stockholders have the opportunity to cast an advisory vote (commonly referred to as the “say on pay” vote) on the Company’s executive compensation program for its NEOs. Although this advisory vote is nonbinding, the Board of Directors and the Compensation Committee will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future compensation decisions for the Company’s NEOs.

As discussed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, we believe that the primary elements of the Company’s executive compensation programs for Fuel Tech’s NEOs are based on a pay-for-performance structure, are well-aligned with the long-term interests of the Company’s stockholders, and are designed to attract, motivate, and retain NEOs who are critical to the success of Fuel Tech. Some of the features of the Company’s executive compensation programs that illustrate the Fuel Tech’s philosophy are:

Stockholders are encouraged to read the full details of Fuel Tech’s executive compensation programs as described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, section and the accompanying compensation tables and related narrative disclosure to properly evaluate Fuel Tech’s approach to compensating the Company’s executives.

For the reasons provided above, Fuel Tech recommends that the stockholders vote in favor of the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the stockholders approve, on an advisory non-binding basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and the accompanying compensation tables and related narrative disclosure in this proxy statement.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR this proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers.

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GENERAL

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Fuel Tech believes that all reports required to be filed under Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 for 2020 were timely filed.

Other Business

The Board of Directors knows of no other matters that may properly be, or are likely to be, brought before the Annual Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement.

Stockholder Proposals

Stockholder proposals intended for inclusion in the proxy statement and proxy to be mailed to all stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in the year 2022 must be received in writing addressed to the Board of Directors or the Secretary of Fuel Tech at 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, IL 60555 on or before December 5, 2021 and, if not received by such date, may be excluded from the proxy materials. Any such proposal must meet the informational and other requirements set forth in the SEC’s rules and regulations and our bylaws in order to be eligible for inclusion in the proxy materials for that meeting.

In addition, under our bylaws, if security holders intend to nominate directors or present proposals at the 2022 annual meeting other than through inclusion of such proposals in the proxy materials for that meeting, then Fuel Tech must receive notice of such nominations or proposals at 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, IL 60555 no earlier than January 15, 2022 and no later than February 14, 2022. Such notice must meet the informational and other requirements set forth in our bylaws in order to be presented at the 2022 annual meeting. If we do not receive notice by that date, then such proposals and nominees may not be presented at the 2022 annual meeting.

Communicating With the Board of Directors

Any stockholder desiring to send a communication to the Board of Directors, or any individual director, may forward such communication to the Secretary to the address provided above for stockholder proposals. Under procedures fixed from time to time by the independent directors, the Secretary will collect and organize all such communications and forward them to the Board or individual director. Fuel Tech generally will not forward to the directors a communication that is primarily commercial in nature, relates to an improper or irrelevant topic, or requests general information regarding Fuel Tech.

FUEL TECH, INC.

Bradley W. Johnson

Secretary

Fuel Tech, Inc.

March 26, 2021

FUEL TECH, INC. l PROXY STATEMENT    32

01—Vincent J. Arnone 04—Thomas S. Shaw, Jr. 02—Douglas G. Bailey 05—Dennis L. Zeitler 03—Sharon L. Jones For Withhold For Withhold For Withhold 1 U P X Using a black ink pen, mark your votes with an X as shown in this example. Please do not write outside the designated areas. 03FD7A + + Proposals — The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR all the nominees listed A and FOR Proposals 2 and 3. 2. Proposal to ratify the appointment of RSM US LLP as Fuel Tech’s independent registered public accounting firm. 3. Advisory vote on executive compensation. 1. Election of Directors: For Against Abstain Please sign exactly as name(s) appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, corporate officer, trustee, guardian, or custodian, please give full title. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) — Please print date below. Signature 1 — Please keep signature within the box. Signature 2 — Please keep signature within the box. B Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to be counted. — Date and Sign Below IF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. Annual Meeting Proxy Card For Against Abstain 000004 MR A SAMPLE DESIGNATION (IF ANY) ADD 1 ADD 2 ADD 3 ADD 4 ADD 5 ADD 6 ENDORSEMENT_LINE SACKPACK 1234 5678 9012 345 MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 5 0 1 3 3 5 MR A SAMPLE (THIS AREA IS SET UP TO ACCOMMODATE 140 CHARACTERS) MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND MR A SAMPLE AND C 1234567890 J N T C123456789 MMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMM 000000000.000000 ext 000000000.000000 ext 000000000.000000 ext 000000000.000000 ext 000000000.000000 ext 000000000.000000 ext If no electronic voting, delete QR code and control # You may vote online or by phone instead of mailing this card. Online Go to www.envisionreports.com/FTEK or scan the QR code — login details are located in the shaded bar below. Save paper, time and money! Sign up for electronic delivery at www.envisionreports.com/FTEK Phone Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the USA, US territories and Canada Votes submitted electronically must be received by 1:00 a.m., Central Time, on May 20, 2021. Your vote matters – here’s how to vote!

Small steps make an impact. Help the environment by consenting to receive electronic delivery, sign up at www.envisionreports.com/FTEK Notice of 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555 Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting — May 20, 2021 Vincent J. Arnone and Bradley W. Johnson, or either of them, each with the power of substitution, are hereby authorized to represent and vote the shares of the undersigned, with all the powers which the undersigned would possess if personally present, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Fuel Tech, Inc. to be held on May 20, 2021 at 10 a.m. or at any postponement or adjournment thereof. The Board of Directors recommends a vote for the election as director of each of the nominees and for approval of each other agenda item, and, if no direction is given, this proxy will be voted for all nominees and for such other items. In their discretion, the Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting. (Items to be voted appear on reverse side.) Proxy — FUEL TECH, INC. VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE C Non-Voting Items + + Change of Address — Please print new address below. Comments — Please print your comments below. Meeting Attendance Mark box to the right if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. 2021 Annual Meeting 2021 Annual Meeting of Fuel Tech, Inc. Stockholders May 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. 27601 Bella Vista Parkway, Warrenville, Illinois 60555