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PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
December 20, 1996; 11:00 A.M.
State Capitol Building, Room 412
Pierre, South Dakota
 

NOTE: If you wish to join this meeting by conference call, please contact the Commission at 605-773-3201 by 5:00 p.m., December 19, 1996.

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 THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING

Natural Gas

1. NG96-022 IN THE MATTER OF THE FILING FOR A WAIVER OF SDPUC RULE 20:10:13:20 (THIRTY-DAY REVIEW) & RETURN OF REFUND THROUGH PGA EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 1997. (Staff Analyst: Dave Jacobson. Staff Attorney: Camron Hoseck.)

On December 18, 1996, the Commission received a filing from MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican) for a waiver of SDPUC Rule 20:10:13:20 which requires that thirty days be given for review on changes to rate schedules. MidAmerican requests that a refund received from Northern Natural Gas be returned to customers through the January, 1997, PGA. The filing indicates that the refund would reduce January gas rates by $.01578 per therm for small volume firm customers and reduce the interruptible gas rates by $.00215 per therm. MidAmerican's justification for this request is tha customers would realize benefits arising from the expedited treatment of the refund during the present period marked by higher gas costs.

TODAY, shall the Commission grant MidAmerican the requested waiver and approve the refund effective January 1, 1997?

1. TC96-160 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR ARBITRATION ON BEHALF OF WESTERN WIRELESS CORPORATION WITH U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (Advisors to Commission: Commission Staff.)

On September 6, 1996, the Commission received a Petition for Arbitration from Western Wireless Corporation, d/b/a Cellular One (Western Wireless). Western Wireless petitioned the Commission, pursuant to Section 252(b)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to arbitrate open issues related to its interconnection negotiations with U S WEST. By Order dated September 27, 1996, the Commission set a prehearing conference for October 7, 1996, at 1:30 P.M., in Room 412 of the Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota. On October 1, 1996, the Commission received the Response of U S WEST to Western Wireless' Petition for Arbitration. Along with the Response of U S WEST, U S WEST also filed a Motion to Dismiss that portion of Western Wireless' Petition for Arbitration that sought to use the Federal Communication Commission's proxy rates during the course of the arbitration while new interconnection rates were being established. A hearing was held in this matter on November 26, 1996, at the State Capitol. The parties have filed proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.

TODAY, how shall the Commission resolve all the open issues in the petition for arbitration?

______________________________
William Bullard, Jr.
Executive Director
December 19, 1996