To the Editor:

A letter to the members of Dakota Energy last week had several statements that need to be addressed. The letter says we refused to let the members vote. The meeting was scheduled for them, they didn’t get enough members there to have a vote. The board of directors later passed a resolution to let the members vote if we got to that point, it won’t be necessary now.

The letter says we sued East River to switch to Guzman, wrong. We sued to get a buyout number, it’s a big step from getting a number to actually buying out. The first cooperative principal is open and voluntary membership, does being forced to fulfill a 50-year contract sound open and voluntary?

It says Kit Carson Co-op in Colorado increased its rate 47.8% after they bought out. I have no idea where that number came from. Kit Carson raised its rate 20%, temporarily, and with their membership’s approval, and have since reduced their rate 30%. Kit Carson now has the lowest rate in that area.

The system we wanted to look at is operating in other parts of the country and it is working, coops are lowering their rate. If we don’t look at a system that could potentially lower our members’ rates, we are not doing our jobs as board of director members.

There have been a lot of letters full of misinformation and half-truths put out. As Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify.”

Dakota Energy’s Annual Meeting and Election is Tuesday, Aug. 29, please vote.

Steven Peterson
Dakota Energy Board member
Holabird