MMA Renewable Ventures Sponsors Institutional Investment in Solar Project

Award-Winning Project Finance Provider Speeds Fetzer's 901 kW Solar Project to Completion 


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity, LLC, ("MuniMae," NYSE: MMA), today announced that it has syndicated the first institutional investment in solar energy project finance in the United States. MMA Renewable Ventures works with energy consumers, project developers and institutional investors to deliver streamlined financial solutions that help make solar and other clean energy projects a cost-effective option. The groundbreaking finance placement gives developers a turnkey solution for project finance and provides institutional investors attractive, socially-responsible tax credit equity investment opportunities. This first investment capitalized a 901-kW solar energy facility completed this month at Fetzer Vineyards, a leading producer of premium wines.

"While investment in clean energy projects is on the rise, solar projects, the largest of which tend to be small in comparison, only make sense to capital markets if they can be efficiently organized, which we have accomplished with this sponsorship and will in many more to come," said MMA Renewable Ventures CEO Matt Cheney. "At MMA Renewable Ventures we are committed to tackling the toughest challenges in order to make clean energy systems, including solar, financially feasible."

"For more than ten years, MuniMae has arranged innovative debt and equity financing solutions.  As a result, we now have a portfolio of more than $17 billion in assets under management, including approximately $7.5 billion in tax credit equity investments in affordable housing projects," said Michael L. Falcone, Chief Executive Officer of MuniMae. "Today we're proud to be applying our significant investment expertise and capital resources to help make installations like the new clean energy system at Fetzer Vineyards a reality."

The solar electric system at Fetzer Vineyards represents the largest solar energy installation in the wine industry. It was successfully commissioned in November 2006. Learn more about Fetzer's sustainable practices at http://www.fetzer.com/.

MMA Renewable Ventures' innovative approach to project finance recently garnered the company the annual Solar Business Achievement Award from the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). Awarded in the category of sustainable business plan development, the honor recognized MMA Renewable Ventures' achievement in driving economic efficiencies and catalyzing significant growth in the solar industry.

About MMA Renewable Ventures

A wholly-owned subsidiary of MuniMae, MMA Renewable Ventures manages and operates renewable energy assets in the United States. The company partners with institutional investors, project developers, and customers to build distributed clean energy generation plants and to sell the electricity and renewable energy credits to the site-host under a Power Purchase Agreement. MMA Renewable Ventures is dedicated to providing competitively priced, clean energy for customers and exceptional investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector. For more information about MMA Renewable Ventures, visit http://www.mmarenewableventures.com/.

Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Examples of such statements in this press release include our expectations of future investment sponsorships.  Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include completion of the audit of our financial statements, completion of pending investments, continued ability to originate new investments, the mix of business between tax-exempt and taxable activities, the availability and cost of capital for future investments, competition within the finance and real estate industries, economic conditions, loss experience and other risks detailed from time to time in our SEC reports.  This press release does not constitute an offer to sell any securities of MuniMae or any other entity. 

DATASOURCE: MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC



CONTACT:  Rosalind Jackson of Antenna Group, [phone], or

, for MMA Renewable Ventures; or investors, Timothy

J. Lordan, Vice President, Investor Relations of MuniMae, 888-788-3863



Web site:  http://www.mmarenewableventures.com/

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