Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, including current and noncurrent amounts. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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Amount of long-term debt, after unamortized discount or premium, scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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Debt (Schedule Of The Components Of Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	$ 462,905,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt	$ 563,679,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Less: current portion of long-term debt	(63,465,000)us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	(82,933,000)us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities	399,440,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	480,746,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Debt instrument amount		22,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Notes Due 2015 [Member] \| Convertible Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		90,000,000
Debt instrument amount	90,000,000
3.25% Notes due 2018 [Member] \| Convertible Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	100,845,000	96,653,000
Debt instrument amount	120,000,000
Green Plains Bluffton [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		26,621,000
Debt instrument amount	70,000,000
Green Plains Bluffton [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		15,000,000
Debt instrument amount	20,000,000
Green Plains Bluffton [Member] \| Revenue Bond [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		15,780,000
Debt instrument amount	22,000,000
Green Plains Central City [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		33,100,000
Debt instrument amount	55,000,000
Green Plains Central City [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		17,739,000
Debt instrument amount	30,500,000
Green Plains Central City [Member] \| Equipment Financing Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		36,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount			50,000,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member] \| Tax Increment Financing Bond [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	3,589,000	3,626,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		26,756,000
Debt instrument amount	27,000,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member] \| Term Loan I [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	40,000,000	50,000,000
Debt instrument amount	62,500,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member] \| Equipment Financing Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	4,192,000	5,489,000
Green Plains Fairmont and Green Plains Wood River [Member] \| Capital Lease Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	9,994,000	9,994,000
Green Plains Holdings II [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	29,510,000	15,914,000
Debt instrument amount	46,800,000
Green Plains Holdings II [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	6,000,000	31,960,000
Debt instrument amount	20,000,000
Green Plains Obion [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		3,879,000
Debt instrument amount	60,000,000
Green Plains Obion [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	27,400,000	28,400,000
Debt instrument amount	37,400,000
Green Plains Obion [Member] \| Equipment Financing Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		126,000
Green Plains Obion [Member] \| Economic Development Grant [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	1,156,000	1,245,000
Green Plains Ord [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		15,143,000
Debt instrument amount	25,000,000
Green Plains Ord [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		2,151,000
Debt instrument amount	13,000,000
Green Plains Processing [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	213,775,000
Debt instrument amount	225,000,000
Green Plains Otter Tail [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		17,960,000
Debt instrument amount	30,300,000
Green Plains Otter Tail [Member] \| Note Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		19,151,000
Debt instrument amount	19,200,000
Green Plains Otter Tail [Member] \| Equipment Financing Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	11,000
Green Plains Shenandoah [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		9,000,000
Debt instrument amount	17,000,000
Green Plains Superior [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount				10,000,000
Green Plains Superior [Member] \| Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		9,750,000
Debt instrument amount	40,000,000
Green Plains Superior [Member] \| Revolving Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	15,025,000	8,000,000
Debt instrument amount	15,600,000
Green Plains Superior [Member] \| Equipment Financing Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		18,000
Corporate [Member] \| Capital Lease Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt		188,000
Corporate [Member] \| Other Debt Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	$ 11,408,000	$ 10,000,000