HEAMF Letter to the HEA Board‏

HEA Members Forum- 3734 Ben Walters Lane - Homer, AK 99603

May 20, 2009 (Sent electronically)

Board of Directors
Homer Electric Association
3977 Lake Street
Homer, AK 99603

Dear HEA Directors:

On behalf of all HEA Members Forum (HEAMF) participants I want to express appreciation and support for your May 12 vote to "transition our cooperative away from involvement in HCCP." From subsequent discussion with several of you and through Director Evans' public statements, it is clear that the primary motivation was to protect HEA members from unnecessary financial risk. You are to be commended for taking your fiduciary responsibilities seriously. As you know, we had great concern involvement with the project was likely to increase our electric rates in the long run and perhaps involve our coop in protracted litigation over permitting disputes.

We realize that, given previous commitments to participate in restarting Healy 2, this was not an easy decision and that there will likely be pressure from both AIDEA and GVEA for you to reconsider. HEAMF participants will stand behind you in resisting any effort to coerce HEA into reversing the May 12 decision. We feel that AIDEA and GVEA obtained former commitments from our coop through obfuscation. Had they been ¬more candid about the many technical and regulatory challenges of a restart, we suspect that HEA may have been reticent to participate at a much earlier date. Fortunately you ultimately obtained the back ground needed to make an informed decision.

Thanks to each of you for your work on this important matter. There are many other options to be considered now in seeking sources for safe, dependable, affordable energy. HEAMF participants believe that each potential technology or specific project deserves a deliberate, fact-based evaluation of potential costs and benefits before being embraced.

We look forward to supporting you in this work.

Most sincerely,
Mike O'Meara,
Spokesman HEA Members Forum
399-4022

cc:
HEA General Manager Brad Janorschke
HEA Outreach Coordinator Joe Gallagher