GT Equipment Technologies

U.S. Energy Secretary Bodman Briefed At GT Equipment Technologies; GT Makes Case for Extension of Solar Tax Credit & More Silicon Production

February 25, 2006

MERRIMACK, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–U.S. Energy Secretary, Samuel Bodman, was briefed today on the record growth of GT Equipment Technologies, and its division, GT Solar Technologies, in the design, manufacture and sale of its photovoltaic manufacturing line of equipment for making solar wafers, cells and modules. GT sells its equipment worldwide and has recorded a 165% increase in sales this fiscal year due to worldwide demand.

Secretary Bodman spent an hour-and-a-half being briefed by company

management, then met with company employees and the news media in GT’s

state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Merrimack, NH (USA). Bodman

is on a nationwide tour to promote the Bush Administration’s new

initiatives in renewable energy, particularly solar. He was joined at

GT by New Hampshire’s two members of Congress, Charles Bass (R-NH) and

Jeb Bradley (R-NH).

While at GT, Secretary Bodman said he was “blown away” by GT’s

operation and the growth it’s experiencing in the photovoltaic sector.

He said the Energy Department is going to be increasing its promotion

and funding of renewable energy initiatives nationwide, and he praised

GT for the role it’s already playing in growing the solar industry,

which will lessen the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

Congressman Bass, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce

Committee, told the Secretary that the solar tax credits that were

secured last year in the energy bill passed by Congress would need to

be extended beyond the current two years if solar technology and solar

energy markets are to expand and succeed in the U.S. Bodman said that

GT had made a case for an extension, but added that he usually prefers

to let the marketplace take its own direction.

GT CEO Kedar Gupta and President Thomas Zarrella also urged the

Secretary to encourage more production of silicon for the solar

industry, stressing that solar can’t grow unless there is a new supply

of processed silicon.

GT Equipment Technologies, Inc. is a privately-held company and an

industry leader in the design and manufacture of semi-custom and

specialty equipment for the solar and materials processing industries,

particularly for photovoltaic and semi-conductor applications. For

more information, go to www.gtequipment.com.