Commissioning Event Celebrates Operation of 179 Megawatt Switch Station 1 and Switch Station 2 Solar Projects in Apex, Nevada

Utility-Scale Solar Power Plant Delivers 100% Clean, Renewable Energy
to Switch Data Centers in Nevada

APEX, Nev.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#EDFRE–Switch Station 1 and Switch Station 2 solar power plants, with a
combined generation capacity of 179 MWac, were formally recognized today
as fully commissioned and in commercial operation at a celebration
attended by government officials, project owners and the energy offtaker.

U.S. Senator Harry Reid, U.S Bureau of Land Management Nevada Director,
John Ruhs, Clark County Commissioner Chairman Steve Sisolak, Nevada
State Energy Office Director Angela Dykema and other federal, state and
local leaders joined executives from Switch, EDF Renewable Energy, NV
Energy, J.P. Morgan and First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) to ceremonially
“throw the switch” marking the delivery of solar power to Switch data
centers in Las Vegas and Reno. The Switch Station 1 and Switch Station 2
projects are helping Switch meet its commitment to power its facilities
with 100 percent clean energy.

Power generated by the plants, owned by EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE),
will be provided to Switch through Power Purchase Agreements with
subsidiaries of NV Energy, Inc. (Nevada Power Company d/b/a NV Energy
and Sierra Pacific Power Company d/b/a NV Energy).

“Less than a decade ago, Nevada’s solar energy landscape was
nonexistent, but this commissioning helps fulfill the vision I had to
make our state the leader in renewable energy development,” said U.S.
Senator Harry Reid. “A technology giant like Switch committing to using
100% renewable energy is truly visionary and grows our clean energy
economy by creating hundreds of good-paying labor construction jobs
here.”

“Technology is revolutionizing the way renewable, clean energy is
produced, delivered and consumed and we are proud to be leaders in
driving that change,” said Switch Executive Vice President of Strategy
Adam Kramer. “Switch Station 1 and Switch Station 2 reflect our
company’s bedrock value of ensuring the data that runs our planet does
not ruin our planet by building new, local, renewable energy resources.”

Located in Clark County, Nevada the Switch Station solar projects are
the first-ever utility-scale solar power plants to be built in one of
the Bureau of Land Management’s Solar Energy Zones. First Solar, the
nation’s largest developer of utility-scale solar projects, acquired the
land to construct the facility through a lease auction in 2014. EDF
Renewable Energy, a leading U.S. independent power producer, acquired
the Switch Station projects from First Solar to complement its existing
portfolio of renewable energy projects in the United States, Canada and
Mexico.

“I am proud to participate in the dedication of Switch Station 1 and
Switch Station 2 solar projects. This is another great example of the
Federal Government and private industry collaborating on improving our
nation’s energy independence and infrastructure under the auspices of
multiple use of our shared public lands,” said John Ruhs, BLM Nevada
State Director.

“The project represents another clear demonstration of EDF RE’s ambition
in the solar business and also our first opportunity in Nevada, a state
with world-class solar resources,” said Cliff Graham, Vice President,
U.S. Development for EDF Renewable Energy. “EDF RE is positioned to
invest $3 billion between now and 2020 in renewable projects across the
country; we anticipate to deliver on our projection and bring more jobs,
tax dollars and investment to Nevada.”

“Between 2005 and 2015, Nevada tripled its in-state renewable energy
production and reduced carbon emissions in the electricity sector by 44
percent,” said Dave Ulozas, NV Energy Senior Vice President of Renewable
Resources. “These two important Switch Station projects are two of 16
solar resources that are currently meeting the needs of our customers
and companies here in Nevada, and NV Energy has more planned for the
future.”

Following an expedited permitting process, construction of the project
took approximately 12 months, creating about 550,000 workhours, and had
a total construction workforce of 1,300. Combined, the power plants
cover about 1,797 acres and are comprised of 1,980,840 solar panels, the
equivalent of 275 football fields, and 5,450,056 feet of cable, equaling
1,032 miles or the distance from Las Vegas to Seattle. The 179 MW of
power generates enough clean solar energy to meet the consumption of
46,000 homes, displacing approximately 265,000 metric tons of carbon
dioxide (CO2) annually, equal to taking about 52,000 cars off
the road.

“The Switch Station solar projects are a great example of how our
commitment to renewable energy has helped to stimulate economic growth
in the County. The solar projects created hundreds of construction jobs
and economic benefits, and the use of our abundant natural resources are
fueling long-term, high-tech job creation centers such as Switch,” said
Steve Sisolak, Chairman of the Clark County Commission.

“This project confirms that solar energy is now available and priced
competitively with other energy sources that rely on carbon-based
fuels,” said Kathryn Arbeit, Vice President of Project Development
Americas for First Solar. “Our photovoltaic technology is setting the
standard for affordable, clean, renewable energy. By continuously
innovating, we are driving down the cost of solar electricity and
providing a solution that addresses energy security and water scarcity.
We are thrilled to continue working with our partners to deliver on our
joint commitment to build a more sustainable energy future.”

About First Solar, Inc.

First Solar is a leading global provider of comprehensive photovoltaic
(PV) solar systems which use its advanced module and system technology.
The company’s integrated power plant solutions deliver an economically
attractive alternative to fossil-fuel electricity generation today. From
raw material sourcing through end-of-life module recycling, First
Solar’s renewable energy systems protect and enhance the environment. www.firstsolar.com

For First Solar Investors

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant
to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements, among
other things, concerning: effects on our financial statements and
guidance resulting from certain module manufacturing changes and
associated restructuring activities; our business strategy, including
anticipated trends and developments in and management plans for our
business and the markets in which we operate; future financial results,
operating results, revenues, gross margin, operating expenses, products,
projected costs (including estimated future module collection and
recycling costs), warranties, solar module technology and cost reduction
roadmaps, restructuring, product reliability, investments in
unconsolidated affiliates and capital expenditures; our ability to
continue to reduce the cost per watt of our solar modules; the impact of
public policies, such as tariffs or other trade remedies imposed on
solar cells and modules; our ability to expand manufacturing capacity
worldwide; our ability to reduce the costs to construct PV solar power
systems; research and development programs and our ability to improve
the conversion efficiency of our solar modules; sales and marketing
initiatives; and competition. These forward-looking statements are often
characterized by the use of words such as "estimate," "expect,"
"anticipate," "project," "plan," "intend," "seek," "believe,"
"forecast," "foresee," "likely," "may," "should," "goal," "target,"
"might," "will," "could," "predict," "continue" and the negative or
plural of these words and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking
statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and
our projections about future events. You should not place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to
update any of these forward-looking statements for any reason. These
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results,
levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by these statements. These factors
include, but are not limited to, the matters discussed in Item 1A "Risk
Factors," of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

About Switch

POWERING THE FUTURE OF THE CONNECTED WORLD® – Switch (NYSE: SWCH) the
technology infrastructure corporation headquartered in Las Vegas, is
built on the intelligent and sustainable growth of the internet. Switch
founder and CEO Rob Roy has developed more than 400 issued and pending
patent claims covering data center designs that have manifested into the
company’s world-renowned data centers and technology solution
ecosystems. Visit switch.com for
more information.

About EDF Renewable Energy

EDF Renewable Energy is a leading US independent power producer with
over 30 years of expertise in the renewable industry, covering all range
of services from project origination, development, sales and marketing,
to long-term asset management. EDF Renewable Energy specializes in wind
and solar photovoltaic with presence in other segments of the renewable
energy market: distributed electricity, storage, biogas, and biomass.
EDF Renewable Energy’s North American portfolio consists of 9 gigawatts
of developed projects with 4.4 gigawatts of installed capacity
throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. The operations and maintenance
subsidiary, EDF Renewable Services, operates 13 gigawatts globally. EDF
Renewable Energy is a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles. EDF Energies
Nouvelles is the renewable energy arm of the EDF group, the leading
electricity company in the world. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com

About NV Energy

NV Energy, Inc., provides a wide range of energy services to 1.3 million
customers throughout Nevada and more than 40 million tourists annually.
NV Energy is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Nevada
Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, do business as NV
Energy. NV Energy is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Information
about NV Energy is available on the company's website, Twitter, Facebook
and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via nvenergy.com

About J.P. Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank

J.P. Morgan’s Corporate & Investment Bank is a global leader across
banking, markets and investor services. The world’s most important
corporations, governments and institutions entrust us with their
business in more than 100 countries. With $22.7 trillion of assets under
custody and $421.6 billion in deposits, the Corporate & Investment Bank
provides strategic advice, raises capital, manages risk and extends
liquidity in markets around the world. Further information about J.P.
Morgan is available at www.jpmorgan.com.

Contacts

Purdue Marion & Associates
Bill Marion
702-222-2362
702-283-0813(cell)
[email protected]