To the Editor:

Dakota Energy Cooperative is trying to separate from East River Electric Power Cooperative and take power from a for-profit company. I do not want to pay for increasing power costs, caused by poor management decisions made by the Dakota Energy manger and Dakota Energy Board of Directors.

Dakota Energy was one of the cooperatives that formed the policies of East River, and has been a member for over 60 years. Dakota Energy has a member on the board of directors for East River that makes the policies and approves the compensation for East River management. Dakota Energy listed salaries of some members of East River in its full-page ad in the Huron Daily Plainsman.

I would like Dakota Energy to list in the paper what its manager, top management members, and board of directors are receiving in the form of total compensation and what Gusman (Dakota Energy’s want-to-be supplier) is paying its CEO and top-paid management, along with its profit.

Why does Dakota Energy have the highest rate of any electrical cooperative in South Dakota? The Energy Information Administration’s 2019 report on Utility Bundled Retail sales - residential, comparing the coops surrounding the Dakota Energy, in cent/kilowatt hour, is as follows:

Central Electric 11.94c
Kingsbury Electric 12.78c
Codington-Clark Electric 9.32c
Northern Electric 9.69c
FEM Electric 12.01c
Oahe Electric 9.74c

Dakota Energy has hired a law firm, filed suit against East River, hired a marketing firm, and refuses to reply to member letters. How much expense has Dakota Energy accumulated so far on this fiasco?

Where is the money coming from to finance these costs? Customers should not have to pay for wrongly-accumulated fees.

The Dakota Energy Board of Directors is supposed to represent the cooperative members/owners. Contact them to stop this outrageous scheme.

Twila Folk
Huron