Sterling Communications will spearhead the organization's global media and analyst relations, event promotion, and social networking initiatives.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17 — The Cleantech Group™, founders of the clean technology investment category and providers of leading global market research and other services for the clean technology ecosystem, announced today that it has selected Sterling Communications, an independent, full- service high-tech public relations agency, to spearhead its global media and analyst relations, event promotion and social networking initiatives. The agency's first order of business will be to promote Cleantech Forum® XXI, which will take place in February 23-25, 2009, in San Francisco.

"We'd not had a globally coordinated public relations initiative to date," said Dallas Kachan, Managing Director, Cleantech Group. "Sterling was able to provide exactly what we were looking for: a hands-on agency with social media domain expertise and a network of equally dedicated and smart partner agencies worldwide. We're looking forward to the Sterling team helping introduce Cleantech Group's thought leadership and our various services and events to audiences that wouldn't otherwise have heard of us."

For Cleantech Group, Sterling will leverage its Global Reach PR network of best-of-breed public relations partners, including Johnson King and Lund Public Relations in Europe and Israel, Newell PR in China and Pressman India, to promote Cleantech Group's efforts internationally. Through providing long-term communications counsel and short- term tactical support, Sterling and its partners will help raise Cleantech Group's profile as the premier organization for networking, advice and information in the clean technology industry.

Stresses in the global economy are being compounded by repercussions from climate change, scarcity of food, water and other commodities and concerns about energy independence. The Cleantech Group believes that investing in clean technologies holds the greatest promise of addressing these challenges, while generating superior returns and job creation. As such, the organization has been working since 2002 to accelerate the development and market adoption of clean technologies globally.

"The Cleantech Group is the premier source of data and info on clean technology, and we're both excited and honored to be working with an organization that has such a great pulse on the industry," said Marianne O'Connor, president and CEO of Sterling Communications. "Any time an organization is able to bring together an industry's most prominent luminaries, truly innovative ideas are sure to follow. We're looking forward to working with Cleantech Group as it continues to set the agenda in the clean tech industry for an exciting decade ahead."

About the Cleantech Group, LLC

The Cleantech Group pioneered the clean technology investment category in 2002. Today, it accelerates the development and market adoption of clean technologies globally. The company's worldwide network of investors, entrepreneurs, enterprises, service providers and others -- representing trillions of dollars in assets -- receive access to capital, investment deal flow, networking, market leading research and data, sales leads and promotional opportunities. The Cleantech Group also provides advisory services for large corporations and governments, publishes leading cleantech sector industry news coverage and produces the premier Cleantech Forum(R) events worldwide. Details at http://www.cleantech.com.

About Sterling Communications, Inc.

Sterling Communications, Inc. -- the Inside Agency(SM) -- is an independent, full-service public relations agency that has a 20-year track record of generating visibility and enhancing the brands of technology companies across a variety of sectors. The Agency has worked successfully with industry pioneers in silicon, software, systems and ecosystems -- from back- office IT solutions to global cleantech organizations. Sterling's communications professionals take the time necessary to really understand not only the client's product or service, but also the client's overall business, the broader competitive landscape and the important market dynamics at play. Founded in 1989, the company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, with additional offices in San Francisco and Seattle. More information can be found at http://www.sterlingpr.com.

"Cleantech Group" is a trademark and "Cleantech" and "Cleantech Forum" are registered trademarks of Cleantech Group, LLC. References to other companies and their products use trademarks owned by the respective companies and are for reference purposes only.