Itron Subsidiary to Provide 140,000 AMR Meters

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — March 12, 2009 — Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today that its subsidiary, Actaris, has signed a contract with Amplex-Emirates LLC for the supply of 140,000 automated meter reading (AMR) enabled electricity meters.   These meters will be supplied and installed by Amplex to Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA).

The contract was awarded after the successful installation by Actaris of the first AMR enabled electricity meters project in the region. The project included 60,000 electricity meters with connection – disconnection breaker and AMR functionality based on an IEC standardized protocol. These contracts make Actaris the largest electricity AMR meter provider in the Middle East. Utilities in the Middle East are particularly concerned about energy and water conservation and are looking for technology to efficiently measure and monitor critical electricity, water and gas resources. Actaris is uniquely positioned to provide Middle Eastern utilities with a comprehensive portfolio of AMR and smart metering solutions and services from our large support team in the region.

The Actaris meters of both contracts provide Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) with the capability to remotely access all of the metering and operating data and to update the meters configuration. The meters will be fully integrated in a fixed network deployed by Amplex.

“Actaris has developed a customized product range focused for the Middle East region that takes into account the high demands of temperature, humidity and dust” said Marcel Regnier, Actaris COO. “Our long-standing experience in the region and our relationship with forward-looking utilities like ADWEA, have enabled us to offer high-specification products with the ability to withstand the harshest environmental demands.”

About Itron:
Itron Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Itron Inc. consists of Itron in North America and Actaris outside of North America. Our company is the world’s leading provider of metering, data collection and utility software solutions, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our products include electricity, gas and water meters, data collection and communication systems, including automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.

About Amplex:
Amplex-Emirates LLC is a leading provider of energy efficient solution for utilities in the Middle East region. Amplex-Emirates LLC has been and is still implementing energy efficiency projects covering streetlight networks, residential and industrial meters, LV substations, and MV load levelling applications. In collaboration with Amplex A/S as the major technology partner, Amplex-Emirates LLC is now situated in the forefront of Smart Grid Technology providers in the region (www.amplex-emirates.ae)”.

For additional information, contact:
Deloris Duquette
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
(509) 891-3523
deloris.duquette@itron.com

Kim Papich
Itron Communications and Marketing
(509) 891-3590
kim.papich@itron.com