European Business and Policy Leaders Discuss the Role of Innovation and Energy

Dow Corning-Sponsored Roundtable Spotlights European Commission Vision to Accelerate Development and Deployment of Economic Stimulating, Low-Carbon Technologies

BRUSSELS, September 29, 2010 - Political representatives and business leaders today provided
a glimpse into the role that innovation and energy technologies will play in
the economic recovery and environmental protection in Europe.

The roundtable at the European Parliament in Brussels was
sponsored by Dow Corning and co-hosted by Members of the European Parliament
(MEP) Fiona Hall and Sirpa Pietikainen. Panel participants exchanged views on
pressing issues that will be addressed this autumn by the European Union's
institutions to position Europe for the 21st Century, including the upcoming
innovation strategy and the revision of the EU's industrial policy.

European legislators Hall (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
in Europe, United Kingdom) and Pietikainen (European People's Party,
Finland), as well as Stefan Tostmann, head of Unit Energy Technologies and
Research Coordination (European Commission, DG Energy) contributed to the
debate. In addition, Attila Nagy, energy attache at the Permanent
Representation of Hungary; Jorge Nunez, research fellow at the Center for
European Policy Studies; Sam Cross, energy policy adviser at EurElectric, and
Jean-Marc Gilson, Dow Corning executive vice president and general manager of
Specialty Chemicals participated in the roundtable discussion.

"Developing effective low carbon technologies is vital to both
economic recovery and environmental protection," said Dow Corning's Gilson.
"We share the European Commission's vision of increased development and
deployment of such advances, and support its chosen methods including
European Industrial Initiatives and funding mechanisms that aim to encourage
and strengthen research and innovation in this area."

"Europe must ensure that companies can operate in a
business-friendly environment that promotes low-carbon technologies and
innovation," said Pietikainen, "which will contribute to solving Europe's
greatest challenges by reducing costs and improving resource efficiency in
production processes."

"Encouraging businesses to invest will have a number of
positive effects, including more high-tech jobs for European workers, a
cleaner environment, and less dependence on fossil fuels for businesses and
homes," added Hall.

The event comes a day after Dow Corning unveiled its plans for
a $13 million investment in a European Solar Energy Exploration & Development
Center (SEED). This investment will expand the company's capability to
innovate with silicon-based materials and technologies at its European
headquarters in Seneffe.

"The new Energy Exploration & Development Center increases Dow
Corning's innovation capabilities in Belgium, allowing us to expand our
European research and innovation portfolio and continue to add to our
scientific and technical expertise," said Eric Peeters, Vice President and
head of Dow Corning's Solar Business. "The new facility will open new
possibilities for materials development and take our application research to
the next level, enabling closer collaboration to better meet the needs of our
customers."

NOTE TO MEDIA: B-roll, audio files and high resolution images
are available on:
www.dowcorning.com/content/about/aboutmedia/SEED.aspx. Video formats:
preview webcast in flash (.flv) and professional broadcast in H264/Mpeg4.
Audio format: radio in MP3

About Dow Corning

Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com) provides
performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than
25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based
technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and
services via the company's Dow Corning(R) and XIAMETER(R)
(www.xiameter.com) brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow
Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's
annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning's global operations
adhere to the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care(R) initiative,
a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure
management of chemical products and processes.

Dow Corning is also the majority shareholder in the Hemlock
Semiconductor Group (www.hscpoly.com) joint ventures, which includes
Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation and Hemlock Semiconductor, L.L.C. Hemlock
Semiconductor is a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other
silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and
solar cells and modules. Hemlock Semiconductor began operations in 1961 and
has announced more than $4 billion of investments since 2005.

About Dow Corning Solar

Dow Corning Solar Solutions(www.dowcorning.com/content/solar)
provides materials and services for the entire photovoltaic supply chain,
from silicon feedstock for ingot and wafer production to solar module
assembly materials. It is leveraging its unique position and global
leadership in the silicon and silicone value chain to deliver solutions
that will make a difference in the photovoltaic industry
and help photovoltaic producers fulfill the mid- and long-term promises of
solar energy.

CONTACT: Liv Schneider-Affeld, liv.schneideraffeld at dowcorning.com, +32-6488-8667, Nadine Heikamp, nheikamp at apcoworldwide.com, +32-486-088-577