ICF International Forecasts That Power Sector Will Bear Primary Burden for GHG Reductions

Firm Weighs Potential Impacts of Energy Policy Decisions in Comprehensive Update
to Carbon Market Study
FAIRFAX, Va.--(Business Wire)--
With consensus building among the Obama administration, members of Congress, and
industry to support a long-term, economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction
goal of 80 percent, all stakeholders must assess the impact that proposed
emission reduction requirements will have on the energy and allowance markets.
In its recently released U.S. Emission and Fuel Markets Outlook, 2009 edition,
ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI), a leading energy and environmental analysis
firm, projects that adoption of these measures could place the burden for
two-thirds of the required reductions squarely on the electric power sector. The
cost and market impacts of such a program depend largely on the design of the
program and the cost and availability of new technology and emission offsets,
which are examined through multiple scenarios in the report.

The U.S. Emission and Fuel Markets Outlook examines the U.S. energy and
environmental market dynamics of conventional air regulations and GHG emission
control programs and their impacts on the power, transportation, residential,
commercial, and industrial sectors. It is designed to help industry and
government decision-makers understand new market fundamentals in the context of
increasingly complex energy markets from both supply and demand perspectives.
The study is based on the firm`s 30 years of forecasting experience and intimate
knowledge of energy and power markets, as well as insights gained through use of
the company`s own proprietary modeling tools.

Most congressional and industry recommendations for GHG regulation, including
those proposed by Sens. Lieberman and Warner, Reps. Dingell and Boucher, the
U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), and the Edison Electric Institute
(EEI), call for multi-sector cap and trade programs to achieve GHG reductions.
Cap and trade programs are designed to allow companies to make emissions
reductions in the most cost-effective manner while still meeting environmental
goals. Over time, the legal limits become tighter, allowing fewer emissions,
until reduction goals are finally met. ICF anticipates that emissions "offsets,"
emissions reductions that take place outside of the capped sectors, will play a
critical role in reducing the cost to capped industries as a whole.

Although there is growing consensus regarding the need for these reductions,
there are constraints to achieving them. "Electric power providers are locked
into capacity that was built long before the development of GHG regulation,"
said Steve Fine, ICF vice president. "It takes time to develop, site, and build
new lower emitting plants as well as retrofit existing ones. Offset reductions
from both domestic and international sources are critical compliance tools but
are limited by the availability of quality offsets and by the competing demand
from other countries, many of which have already implemented GHG reduction
requirements."

The reportprovides a comprehensive, integrated view of coal, natural gas, and
U.S. allowance markets across all sectors of the economy. "By providing an
integrated analysis, Outlook provides a comprehensive picture of the impact of
carbon policy on gas and coal markets, all crucial factors in understanding the
economics of power generation going forward," stated Chris MacCracken, ICF
senior manager.

ICF`s Outlook also examines alternative requirements for sulfur dioxide (SO2),
nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury reductions. Last year, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s
Clean Air Interstate and Clean Air Mercury rules, throwing the SO2 and NOx
markets into disarray and wiping out the nascent mercury market. The study
forecasts the impacts on SO2 and NOx allowance prices and control decisions of a
number of possible outcomes, including a more stringent second phase cap on SO2
and NOx, as well as the possibility of a command and control regulatory regime.

Further information on the U.S. Emission and Fuel Markets Outlook, 2009 edition,
is now available at http://www.icfi.com/emissions.

About ICF International

ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) partners with government and commercial clients
to deliver consulting services and technology solutions in the energy, climate
change, environment, transportation, social programs, health, defense, and
emergency management markets. The firm combines passion for its work with
industry expertise and innovative analytics to produce compelling results
throughout the entire program life cycle, from analysis and design through
implementation and improvement. Since 1969, ICF has been serving government at
all levels, major corporations, and multilateral institutions. More than 3,000
employees serve these clients worldwide. ICF`s Web site is www.icfi.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-looking Statements

This document may contain "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined
in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995-that is, statements
related to future-not past-events, plans, and prospects. These statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause
our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be
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You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they
discuss our future expectations, contain projections of our future results of
operations or of our financial position, or state other forward-looking
information, and are subject to factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. For ICF, particular uncertainties that
could adversely or positively affect the Company`s future results include but
are not limited to: risks related to the government contracting industry,
including the timely approval of government budgets, changes in client spending
priorities, and the results of government audits and investigations; risks
related to our business, including our dependence on contracts with U.S. Federal
Government agencies and departments and the State of Louisiana; continued good
relations with these and other customers; success in competitive bidding on
recompete and new contracts; performance by ICF and its subcontractors under our
contract with the State of Louisiana, Office of Community Development, including
but not limited to the risks of failure to achieve certain levels of program
activities, termination, or material modification of the contract, and political
uncertainties relating to The Road Home program; uncertainties as to whether
revenues corresponding to the Company`s contract backlog will actually be
received; the future of the energy and air transportation sectors of the global
economy; our ability to attract and retain management and staff; strategic
actions, including attempts to expand our service offerings and client base, the
ability to make acquisitions, and the performance and future integration of
acquired businesses; risks associated with operations outside the United States,
including but not limited to international, regional, and national economic
conditions, including the effects of terrorist activities, war, and currency
fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company`s
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These uncertainties may
cause ICF`s actual future results to be materially different than those
expressed in the Company`s forward-looking statements. ICF does not undertake to
update its forward-looking statements.

ICF International
Lindsey Litton, +1-571-265-1472
llitton@icfi.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009