| Schedule of balance sheets - parent company | 
    |  |  | March
    31, |  |  | December 31, 
 |  |  
    | ASSETS |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  
    |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Current Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Cash
    and cash equivalents |  | $ | 9,721 |  |  | $ | 4,985 |  |  
    | Receivables
    from subsidiaries |  |  | 12,934 |  |  |  | 13,057 |  |  
    | Other
    current assets |  |  | 2,336 |  |  |  | 2,349 |  |  
    | Total
    current assets |  |  | 24,991 |  |  |  | 20,391 |  |  
    |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Property
    and equipment, net |  |  | 235 |  |  |  | 269 |  |  
    | Other
    Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Investments
    in subsidiaries |  |  | 195,597 |  |  |  | 218,464 |  |  
    | Pacific
    Ethanol West plant receivable |  |  | 49,937 |  |  |  | 55,750 |  |  
    | Right
    of use operating lease assets, net |  |  | 3,187 |  |  |  | 3,253 |  |  
    | Other
    assets |  |  | 1,451 |  |  |  | 1,452 |  |  
    | Total
    other assets |  |  | 250,172 |  |  |  | 278,919 |  |  
    | Total
    Assets |  | $ | 275,398 |  |  | $ | 299,579 |  |  
    | Current
    Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Accounts
    payable and accrued liabilities |  | $ | 4,721 |  |  | $ | 5,907 |  |  
    | Accrued
    PE Op Co. purchase |  |  | 3,829 |  |  |  | 3,829 |  |  
    | Current
    portion of long-term debt |  |  | 10,000 |  |  |  | 10,000 |  |  
    | Other
    current liabilities |  |  | 3,128 |  |  |  | 659 |  |  
    | Total
    current liabilities |  |  | 21,678 |  |  |  | 20,395 |  |  
    |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Long-term
    debt, net of current portion |  |  | 54,931 |  |  |  | 56,110 |  |  
    | Other
    liabilities |  |  | 3,278 |  |  |  | 3,294 |  |  
    | Total
    Liabilities |  |  | 79,887 |  |  |  | 79,799 |  |  
    | Stockholders'
    Equity: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Preferred
    stock |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  
    | Common
    and non-voting common stock |  |  | 56 |  |  |  | 56 |  |  
    | Additional
    paid-in capital |  |  | 943,453 |  |  |  | 942,307 |  |  
    | Accumulated
    other comprehensive loss |  |  | (2,370 | ) |  |  | (2,370 | ) |  
    | Accumulated
    deficit |  |  | (745,629 | ) |  |  | (720,214 | ) |  
    | Total
    Pacific Ethanol, Inc. stockholders' equity |  |  | 195,511 |  |  |  | 219,780 |  |  
    | Total
    Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity |  | $ | 275,398 |  |  | $ | 299,579 |  |  | 
| Schedule of statement of operations parent company | 
    |  |  | Three
                                         Months Ended
                                         March 31, |  |  
    |  |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  
    | Management
    fees from subsidiaries |  | $ | 3,253 |  |  | $ | 3,330 |  |  
    | Selling,
    general and administrative expenses |  |  | 5,377 |  |  |  | 4,729 |  |  
    | Loss
    from operations |  |  | (2,124 | ) |  |  | (1,399 | ) |  
    | Fair
    value adjustments |  |  | 673 |  |  |  | — |  |  
    | Interest
    income |  |  | 1,042 |  |  |  | 1,159 |  |  
    | Interest
    expense |  |  | (2,640 | ) |  |  | (2,456 | ) |  
    | Loss
    before benefit for income taxes |  |  | (3,049 | ) |  |  | (2,696 | ) |  
    | Benefit
    for income taxes |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  
    | Loss
    before equity in losses of subsidiaries |  |  | (3,049 | ) |  |  | (2,696 | ) |  
    | Equity
    in losses of subsidiaries |  |  | (22,051 | ) |  |  | (10,194 | ) |  
    | Consolidated
    net loss |  | $ | (25,100 | ) |  | $ | (12,890 | ) |  | 
| Schedule of statement of cash flows parent company | 
    |  |  | For the Three Months Ended
                                         March 31, |  |  
    |  |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  
    | Operating Activities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Net
    loss |  | $ | (25,100 | ) |  | $ | (12,890 | ) |  
    | Adjustments
    to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Equity
    in losses of subsidiaries |  |  | 22,051 |  |  |  | 10,194 |  |  
    | Fair value adjustments |  |  | (673 | ) |  |  | — |  |  
    | Depreciation |  |  | 33 |  |  |  | 75 |  |  
    | Amortization
    (accretion) of debt discount (premium) |  |  | (57 | ) |  |  | 178 |  |  
    | Changes
    in operating assets and liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Receivables
from subsidiaries |  |  | 123 |  |  |  | 1,778 |  |  
    | Other
    assets |  |  | 29 |  |  |  | (264 | ) |  
    | Accounts
    payable and accrued expenses |  |  | — |  |  |  | 45 |  |  
    | Accounts
    payable with subsidiaries |  |  | 2,235 |  |  |  | 797 |  |  
    | Net
    cash used in operating activities |  | $ | (1,359 | ) |  | $ | (87 | ) |  
    | Investing Activities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Additions
    to property and equipment |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  
    | Net
    cash used in investing activities |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  
    | Financing Activities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
    | Proceeds
    from issuances of common stock |  | $ | 282 |  |  | $ | 3,670 |  |  
    | Proceeds
    from plant receivable |  |  | 5,813 |  |  |  | — |  |  
    | Payments
    on senior notes |  |  | — |  |  |  | (3,748 | ) |  
    | Preferred
    stock dividend payments |  |  | — |  |  |  | (312 | ) |  
    | Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities |  | $ | 6,095 |  |  | $ | (390 | ) |  
    | Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |  |  | 4,736 |  |  |  | (477 | ) |  
    | Cash
    and cash equivalents at beginning of period |  |  | 4,985 |  |  |  | 6,759 |  |  
    | Cash
    and cash equivalents at end of period |  | $ | 9,721 |  |  | $ | 6,282 |  |  |