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First Solar Supports Missouri S&T Efforts to Secure Critical Materials Supply Chains

1. First Solar endows a critical energy materials professorship at Missouri S&T. 2. Collaboration aims to secure critical supply chains for sustainable energy solutions. 3. Investment supports a future workforce in mining and materials industries. 4. Missouri S&T enhances expertise in critical minerals through various initiatives.

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Why Bullish?

First Solar’s commitment to education boosts its innovative edge, similar to past investments impacting growth.

How important is it?

Supporting education and research aligns with First Solar's strategic goals, enhancing competitive advantage.

Why Long Term?

This investment lays groundwork for future technologies, impacting market position for years ahead.

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ROLLA, Mo. & TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arizona-headquartered First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR), has established the Endowed Professorship in Critical Energy Materials in the materials science and engineering department at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). First Solar is America’s leading photovoltaic (PV) solar technology and manufacturing company, and the only U.S.-headquartered manufacturer among the world’s largest producers of solar panels. The decision to endow a professorship at Missouri S&T reflects the strategic alignment between the two organizations, which have collaborated on critical minerals, particularly tellurium, for the past decade. “We recognize Missouri S&T’s unparalleled depth of expertise in responsible production of critical energy materials, and we’re pleased to be able to help ensure that this endures into the future,” says Mike Koralewski, chief supply chain officer at First Solar. “Our relationship is a great example of what’s possible when industry and academia work together to secure critical supply chains.” Dr. Michael Moats, professor and chair of materials science and engineering at S&T, has worked with First Solar for many years, advising the company on existing tellurium supply and opportunities to increase affordable and sustainable recovery of the metalloid from existing operations. He believes First Solar’s endowment is key to Missouri S&T’s strategy to be a leader in critical minerals research by developing expertise on important points across the supply chain that governs each mineral’s journey to the marketplace. “The position will plug into our team and complement the expertise we already have throughout the supply chain, from policy and economics to cleaning up afterwards,” says Moats. “The generosity and foresight of First Solar will enhance our ability to impact the nation and the world.” Moats says the endowed professorship adds to the already extensive amount of work Missouri S&T has undertaken in the critical minerals arena. Missouri S&T is home to the Thomas J. O’Keefe Center for Critical Minerals, which supports research and other scholarly activities, including the fourth annual Resilient Supply of Critical Minerals workshop funded by the National Science Foundation, which S&T hosted in August. In addition, Missouri S&T leads the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub consortium, which was selected as one of 31 tech hubs in October 2023; the Tech Hub Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. “The fact is, other economies dominate the global market for certain elements, and when restrictions are placed on those elements, there’s the potential to disrupt manufacturing, slow down our fight against climate change and impact our national security,” Moats says. “By ensuring that extractive metallurgy is taught at a college level, First Solar is helping us address these challenges.” First Solar is committed to investing in the education of the next generation workforce that will enable the mining industry to better support the green energy transition. By endowing this professorship, First Solar aims to foster research and education that will equip future professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to advance the mining and materials industries. This investment is crucial for developing innovative solutions and technologies that will drive the green energy transition and ensure a sustainable future. Koralewski says First Solar’s hope is to support research that benefits as many people and organizations as possible. “As America’s solar company, we want to help enhance our country’s critical mineral security by enabling Missouri S&T,” he says. “If discoveries made as part of our collaboration with Missouri S&T can be disseminated and more widely adopted, it will have a much more meaningful impact.” About Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu. About First Solar First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) is America's leading photovoltaic (PV) solar technology and manufacturing company. The only US-headquartered company among the world's largest solar manufacturers, First Solar is focused on competitively and reliably enabling power generation needs with its advanced, uniquely American thin film PV technology. Developed at R&D labs in California and Ohio, the company's technology represents the next generation of solar power generation, providing a competitive, high-performance, and responsibly produced alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV modules. For more information, please visit www.firstsolar.com. For First Solar Investors This press release contains various “forward-looking statements” which are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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 First Solar’s current expectations and First Solar’s projections about future events and therefore speak only as of the date of this release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. First Solar undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause First Solar’s 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 under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as supplemented by our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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