Pacific Ethanol Enters Agreement to Sell Idaho Grain Handling Facilities

– Sells Rail and Storage Assets Adjacent to Magic Valley Plant

– Retains Ethanol Production Facility

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX), a leading producer of specialty alcohols and essential ingredients, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Liberty Basin, LLC to sell 134 acres, rail loop and grain handling assets at its Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley plant in Burley, Idaho for $10 million in cash. Pacific Ethanol will retain the ethanol production facility and terminal on the remaining 25 acres and will enter into certain agreements with Liberty Basin, LLC for delivery of grain to the plant. The sale is expected to close on or before November 30, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

“The sale of real estate and grain handling assets at our Magic Valley facility to Liberty Basin, LLC further demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our balance sheet through monetizing idled assets at a value accretive to shareholders and repurposing the production assets,” said Mike Kandris, Pacific Ethanol’s CEO. “Liberty Basin provides a great strategic alliance for managing grain delivery to the renewable fuel plant and to meet animal feed demand in the Idaho markets. Pacific Ethanol will continue to own the ethanol plant with the intent to upgrade product value prior to restarting production.

“As we have said in our recently announced strategic realignment toward a business focus in specialty alcohols and essential ingredients, Pacific Ethanol will repurpose or sell its idled plants. This sale is a first step toward the objective to add value to our Magic Valley plant. We will continue with our strategic realignment plan and anticipate communicating additional transactions in the future.”

About Pacific Ethanol, Inc.

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (PEIX) is a leading producer of specialty alcohols and essential ingredients. The company is focused on products for four key markets: Health, Home & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Essential Ingredients and Renewable Fuels. The company’s customers include major food and beverage companies and consumer products companies. Pacific Ethanol’s subsidiary, Kinergy Marketing LLC, markets all specialty alcohol products for Pacific Ethanol’s distilleries as well as fuel grade ethanol for third parties. Pacific Ethanol’s subsidiary, Pacific Ag. Products LLC, markets wet and dry distillers grains. For more information please visit www.pacificethanol.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Statements and information contained in this communication that refer to or include Pacific Ethanol’s estimated or anticipated future results or other non-historical expressions of fact are forward-looking statements that reflect Pacific Ethanol’s current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of the communication. Forward looking statements generally will be accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the ability of Pacific Ethanol to close the sale transaction with Liberty Basin, LLC on or before November 30, 2020; Pacific Ethanol’s new business focus and its effects; Pacific Ethanol’s ability to obtain additional regulatory qualifications and their effects; Pacific Ethanol’s intentions to sell or repurpose its idled distilleries; and Pacific Ethanol’s other plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. It is important to note that Pacific Ethanol’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions are not predictions of actual performance. Actual results may differ materially from Pacific Ethanol’s current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Pacific Ethanol’s business. These factors include, among others, the inability of Pacific Ethanol to close the transaction with Liberty Basin, LLC, adverse economic and market conditions, including for specialty alcohols and essential ingredients; export conditions and international demand for the company’s products; fluctuations in the price of and demand for oil and gasoline; raw material costs, including production input costs, such as corn and natural gas; the effects – both positive and negative – of the novel coronavirus; and the ability of Pacific Ethanol to timely and successfully execute on its strategic realignment and new business focus. These factors also include, among others, the inherent uncertainty associated with financial and other projections; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Pacific Ethanol’s products; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the risks and uncertainties normally incident to the specialty alcohol production and marketing industries; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; successful compliance with governmental regulations applicable to Pacific Ethanol’s distilleries, products and/or businesses; changes in laws, regulations and governmental policies; the loss of key senior management or staff; and other events, factors and risks previously and from time to time disclosed in Pacific Ethanol’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, specifically, those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section contained in Pacific Ethanol’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2020.

Released November 9, 2020