Itron Wins Metering Excellence Award for its Pearl-Qatar Smart Metering Project

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — June 23, 2009 — Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) is pleased to announce that it has won the Metering Excellence Award for its Pearl Qatar project from Metering International magazine. The publication bestows the award for excellence amongst worldwide electricity and water utilities, and meter solutions suppliers, specific to their metering technologies, systems and projects.

Itron International, formerly known as Actaris, has been selected for this award thanks to its participation in The Pearl Qatar's smart metering project. As the unique solution provider for the region's integrated advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system, Itron will supply 50,000 multi-energy meters (electricity, water, cooling and gas meters) with associated data collection system and data management software.

The Pearl Qatar, a Riviera-style man-made island covering 400 hectares of reclaimed land in Doha, is Qatar's first international urban development venture. The island will be home to 41,000 international residents in more than 15,000 dwellings and will also house a full range of diverse technological services and solutions, thus creating a dynamic "Smart Island" for integrated systems.

Itron International is supplying the complete end-to-end smart metering solution that will be linked to the overall network on the island and will cover the various energies and multiple communication protocols. Itron International will provide 16,000 water meters, 16,000 cooling meters and 16,000 electricity meters to be used for both residential and commercial applications. For commercial applications only, 200 gas meters will be supplied. This multiprotocol, flexible solution adapts to the many topologies of the island (buildings, villas, harbors, commercial units and substations) with the operating AMI system utilizing the existing communication infrastructure of optical fiber and power cables to transport energy data.

A consolidated database will allow the utility company to benefit from better resource planning, greater revenue protection and optimization of energy management. All metering data (electricity, water, cooling and gas) will be collected and managed on one system allowing the utility company to offer an integrated service to the end-user.

A Web-based service will allow the end-user to access real-time consumption and billing information thus leading to increased energy management and control over monthly bills.

"We are very proud to receive this award acknowledging our involvement in the unrivalled project happening on The Pearl Qatar. Thanks to its unique expertise in electricity, water, cooling and gas, Itron International has been selected as the single-solution provider for The Pearl Qatar, itself a prime example of a multi-energy project covering all aspects of energy management," says Malcolm Unsworth, Itron president and chief executive officer.

"This project on The Pearl Qatar highlights Itron International's know-how in providing a smart metering solution. Our knowledge of the Middle Eastern market and the presence of our local partner, Qatar International Trading, also played a major role in implementing this project,"explains Marc Lippmann, sales and marketing manager, Itron Middle East Electricity business line.