Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

3. PACIFIC ETHANOL WEST PLANTS

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3. PACIFIC ETHANOL WEST PLANTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Pacific Ethanol Central Plants  
PACIFIC ETHANOL WEST PLANTS

Consolidation of PE Op Co. – The Company concluded that from PE Op Co.’s inception to the time the Company became a 91% owner, PE Op Co. was a variable interest entity (“VIE”) because the other owners of PE Op Co., due to the Company’s involvement through the contractual arrangements discussed below, at all times lacked the power to direct the activities that most significantly impacted PE Op Co.’s economic performance. However, since the Company’s acquisition in December 2013 that brought its ownership interest in PE Op Co. to 91%, the Company has obtained and maintained sufficient control, both by way of agreements as well as based on structural control of PE Op Co., such that PE Op Co. is no longer considered a VIE, and as such the Company consolidates PE Op Co. under the voting rights model. On April 1, 2014, PE Op Co. was converted from a Delaware limited liability company to a Delaware C-corporation and changed its name from New PE Holdco LLC to PE Op Co.

 

In August 2014, the Company purchased an additional 5% of the ownership interests in PE Op Co. for $6,000,000 in cash, bringing its total ownership interest to 96% as of December 31, 2014.

 

In May 2015, the Company purchased the remaining 4% ownership interest in PE Op Co. that it did not own, giving it 100% ownership of PE Op Co.

 

Because the Company has a controlling financial interest in PE Op Co., it did not record any gain or loss on these purchases, but instead reduced the amount of noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets by an aggregate of $4,388,000, $5,921,000 and $14,281,000 and recorded the difference of $560,000, $79,000 and $11,940,000 for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, which represents the fair value of these purchases above the price paid by the Company, to additional paid-in capital on the consolidated balance sheets. Further, in 2014, the Company recorded a deferred tax liability related to its cumulative adjustments to additional paid-in capital of $10,244,000.

 

The Company’s acquisition of its ownership interest in PE Op Co. does not impact the Company’s rights or obligations under any of the agreements described below. Further, creditors of PE Op Co. or its subsidiaries do not have recourse to the Company. Since its acquisition, the Company has not provided any additional support to PE Op Co. beyond the terms of the agreements described below.

 

The Company, directly or through one of its subsidiaries, has entered into the management and marketing agreements described below.