X PRIZE Foundation to Present Energy and Environment Thought Leaders at MIT

Forum Will Feature Alternative Energy Ideas From Biologist George Church, Futurist Ray Kurzweil and Inventor Saul Griffith

What:  The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational non-profit that designs and
       administers competitions with prizes of $10 million or more, and the
       Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), are jointly sponsoring
       a forum titled, "Seeking Radical Breakthroughs in Alternative Energy
       - What I Would Advise the Next President." Leading thinkers in the
       alternative energy sector will speak to a group of MIT faculty,
       promising students, industry experts, and members of the media on
       Wednesday, Sept. 10 on the MIT campus.  Video of the event will be
       packaged and distributed to both presidential campaigns and will be
       available on the X PRIZE YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/xprize).
       The Foundation will also be announcing an exciting energy and
       environment-themed contest designed to gather ideas from the general
       public. The X PRIZE Foundation's goal of spurring progress in the
       energy and environment sector is supported by its partner, global
       communications services provider BT.

Who:   Futurist Dr. Ray Kurzweil, biologist Dr. George Church, inventor Dr.
       Saul Griffith, X PRIZE Foundation Chairman and CEO Dr. Peter
       Diamandis, and other special guests.

When:  Wednesday, September 10, 2008
       4:30 pm - 6:30 pm EDT

Where: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Building 34 - Room 101
       77 Massachusetts Avenue
       Cambridge, MA 02139

RSVP:  Please RSVP by September 9. Additional details will be sent upon
       RSVP.

       Please RSVP to: Becky Lewis, Communications Specialist, X PRIZE
       Foundation
                    prcontact@xprize.org, 310.582.5948

edia Contact:   Becky Lewis, X PRIZE Foundation
                 310.582.5948, prcontact@xprize.org

ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. In 2004, the Foundation captured the world's attention when the Burt Rutan-led team, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world's first private spaceship to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for suborbital spaceflight. The Foundation has since launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Foundation and its partner BT Global Services are creating prizes in Exploration (Space and Oceans), Life Sciences, Energy & Environment, Education and Global Development. The Foundation is widely recognized as the leading model for fostering innovation through competition. For more information, please visit www.xprize.org.