| 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 | 
  | 
 
 
 |