Cleantech Index ETF Was #1 of 36 Funds in 2010

By Cleantech Group Llc, PRNE
Thursday, March 31, 2011

CTIUS Index Up 12.3% in 2011, 7.5% in 2010

SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2011 - The PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio ETF
(www.invescopowershares.com/products/overview.aspx?ticker=PZD) (NYSE:
PZD) finished first of 36 public equity funds focused on clean energy and/or
clean technology according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Of the 36 mutual and exchange traded funds worldwide that Bloomberg NEF
tracked, the average fund fell 6.6% in 2010. In contrast, PZD, which tracks
The Cleantech Index(TM) (cleantech.com/index/) (AMEX: CTIUS) rose
7.5% in 2010 and rose 11.6% in Q1 2011.

Rafael Coven, Cleantech Indices' Managing Director and Index Advisor,
noted that the poor performance of most renewable energy stocks in 2011 was a
major reason why Cleantech Index-based funds significantly outperformed their
peers. "Since the Cleantech Index is diversified across many industries, it
had less exposure to the volatile renewable energy sector. In addition, the
Index includes only the best companies in each sector which tend to fare
better than their sectors as a whole. I expect this strategy will result in
continued long-term outperformance of peer funds and indices, but I certainly
don't expect that CTIUS-linked funds will finish first in a given year.
That's short-term stuff. We track a long-term trend."

Added Cleantech Group's Managing Director for Europe & Asia, Richard
Youngman
, "The Index doesn't track an industry or a region, but rather a
global megatrend that cuts across a wide range of industries and geographies.
Narrow industry sectors will rise and fall dramatically, but we believe the
growth in demand for clean technology will continue to accelerate across many
industries for decades. The Index's four-year performance relative to the S&P
underlines that."

Other funds tracking the Cleantech Index had similar performance: they
include the recently listed PowerShares Cleantech ETF in Mexico (ticker:
PZD.MX) and the KSM Cleantech Index ETF (tinyurl.com/4y22sov)
(Bloomberg ticker: KSMCLNT) in Israel.

As part of its quarterly rebalancing, the Cleantech Index has added
Switzerland's SGS S.A. (SGSN.VX) and Mistras Group (MG: NYSE) effective March
31, 2011
.

About The Cleantech Index(TM) (CTIUS)

The Cleantech Index is the first, and only, equity index intended to
reflect the surging global demand for clean technology products and services.
CTIUS is comprised of 72 public companies that are leaders in cleantech
innovation and commercial deployment from a broad spectrum of industry
sectors: from energy efficiency and renewables to advanced materials, water
purification, eco-friendly agriculture, etc.

By tracking the market performance of the premier cleantech companies,
CTIUS is the industry standard index used for a growing range of financial
products. Investors now have an easy, cost-effective, and liquid means to
invest in the broad cleantech investment category - and do so with less risk
than previously possible.

    For more information visit: www.cleantechindex.com
    Contact: indexinfo@cleantech.com

About Cleantech Group(TM)

Cleantech Group is a trusted global research and advisory firm focused on
cleantech innovation helping business leaders make smarter, more strategic
decisions involving clean technologies. In addition to covering global
innovation and investment trends, Cleantech Group offers market intelligence
and insights into companies in the energy efficiency, smart grid, energy
storage, water and green transportation sectors. The company's growing
international client base includes global corporations, investors,
entrepreneurs, governments and service providers. Cleantech Group also
produces the premier Cleantech Forum(R) and Focus(TM) events worldwide,
including upcoming events in Amsterdam, Toronto and San Francisco.

For more information: www.cleantech.com

Marybeth Roberts of Porter Novelli, +1-760-294-6958, marybeth.roberts at porternovelli.com, for Cleantech Group, LLC

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