I am writing to introduce myself and my company, Copernicus Energy, Inc.  My company recently responded to the request for proposal from Logansport Municipal Utilities regarding their coal generation plant in Logansport.  http://www.logansportutilities.com/RFP_Summaries.html

I believe that the Copernicus Energy proposal is the only one of the five offers submitted under the RFP that will accomplish the goals of LMU; namely to cut the economic losses of LMU, and to preserve the jobs at the power plant.  I would like to take this opportunity to ask the residents of Logansport and Cass County for their support of the Copernicus Energy proposal.  If you wish to retain local control over your electricity generation needs, and preserve and expand local jobs and economic impact, then please contact the LMU board and your elected officials to show your support for Copernicus Energy to acquire the coal generation plant.  Our proposal will allow LMU to refuse the Duke Energy proposal to shut down the facility, and will result in substantial new job creation in the region.

Copernicus Energy is a renewable energy systems integration company based outside of Phoenix, Arizona.  Over the past several years, we have been active in the sales, installation and operation of renewable energy systems.  It is our sincere desire to acquire the coal generation plant and to preserve the jobs and economic vitality that the facility brings to your region.  In order to succeed at this task, I have assembled a team of extremely talented professionals from a wide range of professional disciplines to assist my company in the implementation of the proposed project.  Perhaps most importantly in this current economic climate, Copernicus Energy has succeeded in capturing the interest of several financing sources that are ready, willing and able to supply the capital necessary to complete our proposal.

In reviewing the five proposals submitted to LMU, it is important to be able to quickly determine which of the five proposals are realistic, economically feasible and can be quickly implemented.  While I have the utmost respect and admiration for each of the companies and the professionals that made competing offers to our own proposal; many of their bold ideas and cutting edge technologies will take a great deal of time, effort and money to permit, design and build.  Some of the proposals don’t readily offer LMU any substantial financing savings at all, and may require substantial time and money in order to fully research the feasibility of the proposed concepts.  LMU doesn’t have a lot of time to waste in making their decision on how to proceed forward with a decision to close or continue to operate the coal generation facility.  The Copernicus Energy proposal is likely the ONLY one of the five proposals that can begin to be implemented in a matter of weeks, not months or years down the road.

We have designed a plan of action that immediately takes the financial pressure off of LMU and the City of Logansport.  No more financial losses, no more worrying about the negative financial impact of the coal facility dragging the entire town into a financial quagmire. In this time of great economic uncertainty facing our nation, it is critically important that LMU and the City of Logansport remain on solid financial footing on their own, since an economic life line being thrown their way from a county, state or federal government is highly unlikely.

Additionally, the Copernicus Energy proposal is the only one of the five proposals that promises to retain the current employment at the coal generation facility.  Logansport has struggled through a wave of job losses through the global financial crisis and the massive job losses in the automotive industries.  Cities like Anderson, Elkhart and Kokomo and many other Indiana cities and towns have struggled to survive and maintain their citizen services in the face of losing multiple hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue derived from the major economic drivers in their economies.  The City of Logansport can ill afford to lose the local jobs supplied by the coal generation facility.

The City of Logansport has a historic opportunity before them to take a huge stride forward in order to secure the future economic security of your region.  The Copernicus Energy team stands ready, willing and able to work with you if you will allow us to become your newest corporate citizen.

Robby Richards,

Chief Executive Officer