Quarterly report pursuant to sections 13 or 15(d)

1. ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION.

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1. ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION.
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]
1. ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION.

Organization and Business – The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Pacific Ethanol, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Pacific Ethanol”), and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Kinergy Marketing LLC, an Oregon limited liability company (“Kinergy”), and Pacific Ag. Products, LLC, a California limited liability company (“PAP”), for all periods presented, and for the periods specified below, New PE Holdco, which owns the Plant Owners (each as defined below) (collectively, the “Company”).


The Company is the leading marketer and producer of low carbon renewable fuels in the Western United States. The Company also sells ethanol co-products, including wet distillers grain (“WDG”), and provides transportation, storage and delivery of ethanol through third-party service providers in the Western United States, primarily in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho and Washington. The Company sells ethanol produced by the Pacific Ethanol Plants (as defined below) and unrelated third parties to gasoline refining and distribution companies and sells its WDG to dairy operators and animal feed distributors.


The Company manages the production and operation of the four ethanol production facilities, namely, Pacific Ethanol Madera LLC, Pacific Ethanol Columbia, LLC, Pacific Ethanol Stockton, LLC and Pacific Ethanol Magic Valley, LLC (collectively, the “Pacific Ethanol Plants”) and Pacific Ethanol Holding Co. LLC (“New PE Holdco,” and together with the Pacific Ethanol Plants, the “Plant Owners”). These four facilities have an aggregate annual production capacity of up to 200 million gallons. As of March 31, 2012, three of the facilities were operating and one of the facilities was idled. When market conditions permit, and with approval of New PE Holdco, the Company intends to resume operations at the Madera, California facility.


On October 6, 2010, the Company purchased a 20% ownership interest in New PE Holdco, a variable interest entity (“VIE”), from a number of New PE Holdco’s owners. At that time, the Company determined it was the primary beneficiary of New PE Holdco, and as such, has consolidated the results of New PE Holdco since then. See Note 2 – Variable Interest Entity. On each of November 29, 2011 and December 19, 2011, the Company purchased an additional 7% ownership interest in New PE Holdco, bringing the Company’s total ownership interest in New PE Holdco to 34%. As of March 31, 2012, the Company held a 34% ownership interest in New PE Holdco.


Liquidity – The Company believes that current and future available capital resources, revenues generated from operations, and other existing sources of liquidity, including its credit facilities, will be adequate to meet its anticipated working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. If, however, the Company’s capital requirements or cash flow vary materially from its current projections, if unforeseen circumstances occur, or if the Company requires a significant amount of cash to fund future acquisitions, the Company may require additional financing. The Company’s failure to raise capital, if needed, could restrict its growth, or hinder its ability to compete.


Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts – Trade accounts receivable are presented at face value, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts. The Company sells ethanol to gasoline refining and distribution companies and sells WDG to dairy operators and animal feed distributors generally without requiring collateral.


The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for balances that appear to have specific collection issues. The collection process is based on the age of the invoice and requires attempted contacts with the customer at specified intervals. If, after a specified number of days, the Company has been unsuccessful in its collection efforts, a bad debt allowance is recorded for the balance in question. Delinquent accounts receivable are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts once uncollectibility has been determined. The factors considered in reaching this determination are the apparent financial condition of the customer and the Company’s success in contacting and negotiating with the customer. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required.


Of the accounts receivable balance, approximately $24,629,000 and $23,715,000 at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, were used as collateral under Kinergy’s working capital line of credit. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $26,000 and $24,000 as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. The Company recorded a bad debt expense of $2,000 and a bad debt recovery of $130,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its customers.


Basis of PresentationInterim Financial Statements – The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Results for interim periods should not be considered indicative of results for a full year. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The accounting policies used in preparing these consolidated financial statements are the same as those described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for interim periods have been included. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.


The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are required as part of determining the consolidation of VIEs, fair value of convertible notes and warrants, allowance for doubtful accounts, estimated lives of property and equipment and intangibles, long-lived asset impairments, valuation allowances on deferred income taxes and the potential outcome of future tax consequences of events recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns. Actual results and outcomes may materially differ from management’s estimates and assumptions.


Reclassifications of prior year’s data have been made to conform to 2012 classifications. Such classifications had no effect on net loss reported in the consolidated statements of operations.