For Immediate Release, contact:
Axiom Communications, Inc.
Matt Brown or Ron Simoncini
201-348-8998
info@axiominc.net

2/25/2009

HARTZ MOUNTAIN TO SWITCH ON SOLAR POWER AT MEADOWLANDS EXPOSITION CENTER, SHOWCASING BROAD SOLAR INITIATIVE

Expo Center array is the first solar installation within the Hartz 39 million square foot portfolio.

SECAUCUS, N.J. FEBRUARY 23, 2009 With the flip of a switch, Hartz Mountain Industries Inc. will turn on its new solar array installed on the 65,000 square-foot roof of the Meadowlands Exposition Center at a special event Monday, February 23 at 10:30 a.m.

The 412-kilowatt SunPower T10 Solar Rooftop solar array is the first of many solar installations that Hartz plans to install on the roofs of buildings, predominantly warehouses, within its 39 million square foot portfolio. It is also the first completed solar installation in New Jersey to be partially funded by PSE&G's Solar Loan Program.

Approved by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in April of 2008, the two-year, $105 million pilot program allows PSE&G to offer loans to installers of solar panels on their roofs with repayments using solar credits (SRECs). The loans can finance 40 percent to 60 percent of the cost of solar-panel installation.

In April of 2008, Hartz contracted with SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB), a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels, and solar systems, to design and install the solar array at the Exposition Center as part of Hartz's groundbreaking sustainability initiative. Under the program, PSE&G will provide $1.62 million in loans with the balance invested by Hartz. Hartz owns the renewable energy credits associated with the system and will monetize their value through the PSE&G solar loan program as repayment of the loan.

The SunPower T10 Solar Roof Tiles are tilted at a 10-degree angle to enhance energy capture, and utilize SunPower solar panels, which are the highest efficiency solar panels on the market. "The solar array will produce approximately 40 percent of the Exposition Center's electricity.

"We are proud to take a leadership role in sustainable development, and have enjoyed the cooperation of the BPU and PSE&G," said Emanuel Stern, president and chief operating officer of Hartz Mountain. The Solar Loan Program has provided a level of economic certainty that is not commonly found in the marketplace. Moving forward, we envision similar programs that foster private investment in renewable energy projects and help the State of New Jersey reach the goals set forth in the Energy Master Plan.

SunPower offered turnkey design and installation services and high-efficiency solar technology to optimize the power generated by the array and the savings that Hartz Mountain will achieve on their electricity costs, said Tom Leyden, managing director at SunPower. We applaud their leadership in taking advantage of PSE&G's Solar Loan Program. Clean, reliable solar power makes good sense today for businesses and our environment.

"In this difficult economy, PSE&G's solar loan program provides financing that removes risk for customers who want to install affordable and pollution-free solar systems," said Al Matos, PSE&G's vice president for renewables and energy solutions. "The governor has called for the production of 1800 MW of solar generation in New Jersey over the next 11 years. PSE&G's commitment to meeting that target is demonstrated by our $105 million solar loan program and by a second solar initiative we submitted to the BPU last week that, if approved, will invest an additional $773 million for solar installations for municipalities, schools, brownfields, non-profits and other typically underserved markets."

"Those two programs will pump nearly a billion dollars into solar installations, creating good jobs in New Jersey,"Matos added." We have a huge challenge facing us in New Jersey, and utilities can't do it alone. The commitment made by PSE&G will represent only 7% of the total solar installations needed to meet the governor's goals for the year 2020. It's going to take a partnership like this one, a partnership of developers, utilities and the state working collectively if we are going to have a chance to meet this very aggressive but equally essential goal. Hartz Mountain has stepped up, and we congratulate them on the completion of their first solar project."

About Hartz Mountain Industries

Headquartered in Secaucus, NJ, Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc. owns and manages one of the largest privately held commercial real estate portfolios in the United States, comprised of approximately 200 properties and totaling more than 38 million sq. ft. in the northern New Jersey/New York area. Hartz employs a comprehensive approach to real estate that is facilitated by its full-scale in-house departments for leasing, management, finance, acquisition, architecture, construction, development, planning, and marketing, design and property management. By controlling the development process end-to-end, the company strives to remain at the forefront of commercial, industrial, retail and hotel development. For more information, visit their web site at www.hartzmountain.com