BlueFire Named One of Top Bioenergy Companies for 2008 - 2009

IRVINE, Calif. December 23, 2008: BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. (OTCBB: BFRE), a leader in cellulosic ethanol production technology, has been ranked number 13 on Biofuels Digest’s list of the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy.”

“It is an honor to have been recognized for innovation and achievement in bioenergy by a highly-respected industry authority,” said Arnold R. Klann, President and CEO of BlueFire Ethanol. “This award reinforces the credibility of our cellulosic conversion process as a commercially-viable method of generating biofuels from a variety of non-food source feedstocks.”

Winners of Biofuels Digest’s “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” award will be honored at a presentation in Washington DC on April 20, 2009, in conjunction with the Advanced Biofuels Development Summit. Rankings were based on the votes of the Biofuels Digest award panel and reflected the importance of news announcements made in 2008. Votes were weighted by industry and region to ensure a fair and broad representation of companies and technologies.

Jim Lane, Editor of Biofuels Digest, stated, “BlueFire Ethanol checked off strongly on intellectual property, cohesive management team, a growing reputation and a waste-to-energy path that is entirely in sync with the twin goals of energy independence and sustainability. The acid hydrolysis approach is looking more and more compelling to the bioenergy industry every day.”

“In addition to our domestic plans, BlueFire Ethanol is making key advances to provide full-scale commercial production of cellulosic ethanol in the global markets that have the greatest need for alternative fuel sources,” added Klann. “Our technology not only enables BlueFire to produce cellulosic ethanol at the lowest cost of any producer, but it also negates transportation issues that plague traditional corn-based production. And, while cellulosic ethanol is poised to play a greater role in the domestic economy, our feedstock-gathering approach allows us to set a global standard with a manufactured product suitable for export to other countries.”

BlueFire Ethanol’s technology has previously been recognized and validated by the California Energy Commission and the United States Department of Energy. In fact, BlueFire Ethanol was awarded $40 million from the Department of Energy for the construction of a planned plant in Southern California. The company has received the first installment of funding from the DOE for the development of the BlueFire Mecca, LLC plant in Southern California.