To the Editor:

At last year’s Dakota Energy (DE) Board of Director election, we elected three new directors, but Guzman Energy still has control of the six remaining board members. On Aug, 29, three members will be elected by the co-op members, to the Board of Directors. For the member/owners to take back control of the board we must elect Brian Baum, Doug Schaefers and Brian Bonebright.

Some of Guzman Energy’s Board of Directors are CEOs of investment groups. Their main interest is profit for investors. East River’s Board of Directors is made up of rural South Dakota people whose main interest is low-cost, reliable energy for its members.

As I see it, so far Guzman Energy’s partnering with Dakota Energy caused the following:
1. Made secret agreements without openly telling member/owners
2. Served subpoenas on five members and one nonmember for questioning Board’s actions.
3. Deposed and interrogated two members for 3 ½ hours and 4 ¼ hours
4. Filed lawsuits against East River and Basin Electric

5. Filed lawsuits against 17 long time members of Dakota Energy
6. Dakota Energy would lose WAPA allocation
7. Cost all members of Dakota Energy, East River, and Basin Electric millions of dollars in legal fees
8. Tied up court systems with frivolous lawsuits
9. Gave out misleading information
10. Tried to greenwash the members and the public
11. Guzman Energy didn’t state a price of power
12. Discusses Guzman-related material in executive sessions so members don’t need to be told what’s going on.
13. Members have to sign document to pay for costs and not divulge information in Letter of Intent in order to read it.

Is this what you want from your power supplier?  

Vote for Brian Baum, Brian Bonebright, and Doug Schaefers to get the cooperative out from under Guzman Energy control.

Bill Folk
Huron