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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
January 20, 2015, at 2:00 P.M. CST
Room 423, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota

NOTE: If you wish to join this meeting by conference call, please contact the Commission at 605-773-3201 by 10:00 a.m. CST on Monday, January 20, 2015. Lines are limited and are given out on a first come, first served basis, subject to possible reassignment to accommodate persons who must appear in a proceeding. Ultimately, if you wish to participate in the Commission Meeting and a line is not available, you may have to appear in person. 

NOTE: To listen to the Commission Meeting live please go to the PUC's website www.puc.sd.gov and click on the LIVE link on the home page. The Commission requests persons who will only be listening to proceedings and not actively appearing in a case listen via the web cast to free phone lines for those who have to appear.  The Commission meetings are archived on the PUC's website under the Commission Actions tab, Click on "Commission Meeting Archives," to access the recordings.

NOTE: Notice is further given to persons with disabilities that this Commission meeting is being held in a physically accessible place. If you have special needs, please notify the Commission and we will make all necessary arrangements.

AGENDA OF COMMISSION MEETING

Administration

1.     Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meetings Held on December 9 and 23, 2014; January 6, 2015; and the Gross Receipts Tax Hearing Held on January 6, 2015 (Staff: Joy Lashley)

Consumer Reports

1.     Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)

Electric

1.     EL14-107     In the Matter of the Filing by NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy for Approval of Tariff Revisions (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer)

On December 19, 2014, NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) filed to request approval to modify the Fuel Adjustment Clause tariff, Section No. 3, Sheet No. 33.1, in order to sell excess renewable energy credits which have been allocated to South Dakota jurisdictional customers. NorthWestern proposes to credit 100 percent of proceeds to jurisdictional customers. NorthWestern requests an effective date of February 1, 2015.

     TODAY, shall the Commission approve the tariff revisions?

Telecommunications

1.     TC14-091     In the Matter of the Filing by Local Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. for Approval of Revisions to its South Dakota Access Tariff No. 1 (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Karen Cremer)

On December 17, 2014, the Commission received a filing from the Local Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (LECA) for approval of revisions to its Access Tariff No. 1. The purpose of the filing is to update the tariff to reflect the mergers of Western Telephone Company into Venture Communications Cooperative and RC Communications, Inc. into Roberts County Telephone Cooperative Association which will be known as RC Technologies following the merger. On December 30, 2014, LECA filed revised tariff pages.

     TODAY, shall the Commission approve the revisions to LECA's Access Services Tariff No. 1?

Leadership

1.     Election of a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Commission (General Counsel: John Smith)

South Dakota Codified Law 49-1-8 states in part that, "The members of the Commission shall elect a chairperson by majority vote and prescribe his duties." SDCL 49-1-12 requires that, "Every vote and official action of the Public Utilities Commission shall be entered of record and its proceedings shall be public upon the request of either party or any person interested." SDCL 1-25-1 requires that all official meetings of Commission be open to the public. Accordingly, the determination of the Commission's leadership structure shall be made at this public meeting.

     TODAY, how shall the Commission provide for its Executive Leadership?

Items for Commission Discussion

Announcements

  1. Commissioners and staff will meet with representatives of Otter Tail Power Company on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. CST in the Floyd Matthew Training Center in the Foss Building, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D. The agenda is to discuss a general update about activities at Otter Tail Power Company and the appointment of Tim Rogelstad as the company's new president.

  2. The PUC offices will be closed Monday, January 19, 2015, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

  3. A public input hearing for Docket HP14-002 will be held Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 12:00 p.m. noon to 3:00 p.m. CST in the Bowdle School Gym, 3083 S. Second Ave., Bowdle, S.D.

  4. A public input hearing for Docket HP14-002 will be held Wednesday, January 21, 2015, 6:00-9:00 p.m. CST in the Redfield School Auditorium, 502 E. Second St., Redfield, S.D.

  5. A public input hearing for Docket HP14-002 will be held Thursday, January 22, 2015, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST in the Iroquois School South Gym, 111 E. Washita Ave., Iroquois, S.D.

  6. A public input hearing for Docket HP14-002 will be held Thursday, January 22, 2015, 5:30-8:30 p.m. CST in the Roosevelt Room, Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, 3200 W. Maple St., Sioux Falls, S.D.

  7. A hearing in docket EL14-026 will be held January 27-29, 2015, beginning at 9:00 a.m. CST January 27 in the Floyd Matthew Training Center in the Foss Building, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D.

  8. The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Monday, February 2, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol, Pierre, S.D.

  9. Commission meetings are scheduled for February 13 and March 2, 2015.

 

/s/Cindy Kemnitz         
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
January 15, 2015