Writer lays out reasons that Dakota Energy should not pair with Guzman
Energy
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To the Editor:
More reasons the Dakota Energy board of directors needs to change course on their decision to purchase wholesale power from Guzman Energy:
- Dakota Energy received a $552,700 credit on their January 2022 power bill because of a good year for East River and Basin Electric. Do you think Guzman will return excess margins at year end if they have a good year? Or send your money to out of state Guzman shareholders in Coral Gables Florida?
• The Dakota Energy board disparages Basin’s minor subsidiary Dakota Gasification Company (DGC). Yet, DGC posted a $19,118,332 January and a $7,264,832 February 2022 margin.
• Legal costs for East River and Basin are in the millions for this whole debacle. The money continues to be wasted. You and I are paying the bill. For what?
• What are Dakota Energy’s legal costs? Who’s paying for it? If it’s you and me, the Co-op members, that’s bad. If it’s Guzman, that’s worse.
• Dakota Energy sued their own members for attempting to call for a vote. Members of a co-op should never be sued by their own co-op. Especially when it comes to a voting issue! Dakota Energy is after all a cooperative, one member one vote. The current board denied your vote.
• There are no savings. East River charges Dakota Energy 5.9¢/kWhr. The Guzman spokesman stated their power costs would be 6.2¢/kWhr. Add in the buyout and the 6.2¢/kWhr easily increases to 8.2¢/kWhr, that’s being conservative.
• Dakota Energy is using Co-op resources to promote incumbent board members. The same treatment should be afforded the three challenging candidates.
Current board members are leading us in a terribly wrong direction. I encourage you to vote Tom Baruth, Alpena, Nick Nemec, Holabird and Darrell Raschke, Huron at the annual meeting June 14.
Dave Eide
Dakota Energy member
Watertown