To Recap Recent Events - January 27th

Homer Electric Association is not yet legally committed to the proposed deal with GVEA and AIDEA to restart the Healy 2 coal plant. What the HEA Board voted to approve earlier this month was a set of terms to be used in drawing up a contract. There is still time to stop the Healy 2 boondoggle.

As many of you know, at the January 22 special Board meeting Brian Hirsch, Mike Pate, and David Thomas hoped to have the HEA Board approve that a 3rd party analysis be done for power supply options to see where Healy fits in. Through procedural shenanigans, the Board President prevented such a vote. All this was covered fairly well in the Peninsula Clarion.

Had Brian, Mike, and David been successful, this analysis would have slowed the movement toward a contract. If no contract is voted on by August 1, then everything re-sets. They will now try to bring this issue to a vote at the February 10 Board meeting in Kenai (5:30 PM). The meeting will be video conferenced to the Homer office.

Brian, Mike, and David need our continuing support. This is how you can help:
The following HEA Board representatives voted in favor of the Healy 2 agreement terms. If any of them represent your district please keep urging them to reconsider or at least support a 3rd party analysis of present and potential future power supply options. Even if you have already contacted them, try again. Be reasonable and polite but firm.

Debbie Debnam President (Sterling): 262-9277
Donald Seelinger, Secretary/Treasurer (Seldovia): 399-7573
Bruce Passe, Deputy Secretary (Kenai): 283-4617
William "Bill" Tappan (Kenai): tappassoc (EMAIL@)acsalaska.net; 260-6961
Tim Evans (Kenai): heatde (EMAIL@) gmail.com; 262-3734
Jose (Tony) Garcia (Nikiski): 394-2489
Brad Janorschke, General Manager: bjanorschke (EMAIL@) homerelectric.com; 235-8551


Plan to attend the February 10 Board meeting to express your concerns about Healy 2 and your support of Board members Hirsch, Pate, and Thomas. Having a standing room only crowd at both Kenai and Homer offices will send a powerful message that HEA members from all three Board districts want a change in course.

HEA Board Elections and Annual Meeting
March 6 -- Board candidate "petitions" are due. These Board members terms are up and may seek reelection.

Bruce Passe, District 1
William Tappan, District 2
Don Seelinger, District 3

Think about whether or not you want to see them reelected. If not, the best strategy is to field ONE good opposition candidate from each district.

April 3 -- Ballots are mailed to all members. Joe Gallagher tells me that most of them are returned within the first week.

May 6 -- Mail-in ballots must be received (not postmarked) by 5:00 PM. On that last day, ballot boxes are set up at both the Homer and Kenai offices for people who forgot to mail their ballots.

May 7 -- The Annual Meeting will be held starting at 5:00 PM at Homer High School. Anyone who failed to return Mail-in ballots will be able to vote at the meeting.