Itron Unveils New Production Line, Hires Staff to Increase Capacity for its Smart Grid Technology

WASECA, Minn. — April 13, 2010 — Today, Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) unveiled an additional production line, as well as increased workforce, in support of OpenWay, its industry-leading smart grid platform. The new OpenWay electric circuit board assembly area is housed in Itron's Waseca, Minn., manufacturing plant. Itron has hired an additional 40 employees to operate and support the latest line.

Said Malcolm Unsworth, Itron president and chief executive officer, "OpenWay has been specifically designed to offer robust data collection, customer empowerment and smart grid realization—it's part of our commitment to continue to deliver the very best in smart metering technology. This new production line and additional staff further reflect this commitment."

Producing OpenWay circuit boards in Waseca will help Itron meet growing demand for the technology. The Minnesota-based factory already produces all of Itron's gas and water meter end points, recently shipping its 30 millionth gas end point.

The new line is supported by a Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit awarded by the Obama administration in January. The tax credit aids in Itron's strategy to increase manufacturing capacity in its U.S.-based facilities. OpenWay was acknowledged by the administration for its support of a clean energy economy. The technology aids in carbon reduction, while enabling a renewable power infrastructure, system efficiency and consumer involvement.

Central to Itron's smart grid platform, the OpenWay CENTRON® meter is one of the first smart meters to provide built-in, high-speed two-way communications, giving consumers more choice regarding their energy usage and allowing utilities to provide higher reliability at lower operating cost.

The new line was revealed at an open house held Tuesday in Waseca. The event brought together numerous Itron executives including Unsworth and Itron North America senior vice president and chief operating officer, Philip Mezey. Tuesday's events also included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and employee appreciation activities.

With nearly 450 employees, the Waseca Manufacturing Facility is the second largest employer in Waseca and the surrounding county. In addition to its production employees, Waseca also houses operations support staff and product development, marketing and accounting staff. The facility encompasses 110,000 square feet. The site is one of four domestic manufacturing sites for Itron. The original electric circuit board assembly area continues to be located at Itron's largest site, its Oconee Manufacturing Facility in South Carolina, where the other OpenWay hardware components are also produced.