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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
September 11, 2012, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
Room 413, 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 5:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, September 10, 2012. 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 August 14, 2012, and August 28, 2012 (Staff: Joy Irving)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
On August 7, 2012, the Commission received a filing from MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican). This filing requests approval of MidAmerican's revised tariff sheet to update Rider No. 54 - Qualifying Cogeneration and Small Power Production Purchases tariff for its current avoided costs for a 12-month period.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions to the company's qualifying cogeneration and small power production avoided cost rates?
On August 9, 2012, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy filed for Commission approval of revisions to its tariff. The purpose of this filing is to make changes to customer billing forms included in the current South Dakota Electric Rate tariff Book.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the tariff revisions?
On August 10, 2012, Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) filed for Commission approval of revisions to its tariff. The purpose of this filing is to make changes to revised Section 16.00, Sheet No. 1. The revised sheet is the fourth revision to Sheet No. 1 of Otter Tail's Summary of Contracts with Deviations.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the tariff revisions?
On August 17, 2012, Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) submitted for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission approval a Service Territory Exception Agreement between Otter Tail and Lake Region Electric Association (LREA). The agreement will allow Otter Tail to provide three-phase service to the Blue Dog Hatchery located in LREA's service territory, and will automatically terminate upon removal or abandonment of such services.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the requested service territory exception?
On August 17, 2012, the Commission received an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between West River Electric Association, Inc. and Black Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. This filing is made pursuant to current efforts of the PUC to verify electric territory mapping data for conversion to electronic format and use in a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. With the assistance of the above-referenced utilities, Commission staff has confirmed the service territory boundary shared by these utilities and has prepared updated mapping information. In addition, the parties ask for approval of existing territory deviations identified during the review processes which have not been approved as official territory exceptions. In conjunction with the parties to this docket, Commission Staff requests approval of the agreement and the exceptions identified in order to update official mapping data and reflect the service territory boundaries shared by the utilities in this docket.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed electric service territory boundary agreement? AND, shall the Commission approve the identified electric service territory exceptions?
Telecommunications
1. In the Matter of the Request for Certification Regarding the Use of Federal Universal Service Support in Dockets TC12-049, TC12-072, TC12-073, TC12-078, TC12-084, TC12-085, TC12-086, and TC12-087
On May 25, 2012, the Commission received an application from Fort Randall Telephone Company requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 30, 2012, the Commission received an application from RCC Minnesota, Inc. dba Verizon Wireless requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 30, 2012, the Commission received an application from WWC License LLC dba Verizon Wireless requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 30, 2012, the Commission received an application from Long Lines Wireless, LLC requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 31, 2012, the Commission received an application from Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 31, 2012, the Commission received an application from Santel Communications Cooperative requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 31, 2012, the Commission received an application from Brookings Municipal Telephone dba Swiftel Communications requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
On May 31, 2012, the Commission received an application from Brookings Municipal Telephone requesting the Commission to issue a certification to the FCC and USAC indicating it is in compliance with 47 U.S.C. Section 254(e) and should receive all federal universal service support determined for distribution to the Company in 2013.
TODAY, shall the Commission provide a certification to the Federal Communications Commission and to the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the plan for the use of Federal Universal Services Support as proposed in each of the above dockets?
On July 5, 2011, Fort Randall Telephone Company, Wagner, South Dakota, filed a switched access cost study pursuant to the administrative rules established by the Commission. On August 31, 2012, Fort Randall Telephone Company filed with the Commission an applications for waiver under ARSD 20:10:27:02 and to dismiss the cost study filed by Fort Randall on June 30, 2011.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the waiver? And shall the Commission dismiss and close this docket?
On June 22, 2012, the Commission received a filing from Midstate Telecom, Inc. (Midstate) for approval of revisions to its Access Service Tariff No. 2. This filing is the first step in implementing the "Transitional Intrastate Access Service" reductions mandated by the Federal Communication Commission's November 18, 2011, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WC Docket Nos. 10-90, etc. (FCC 11-161). Midstate requests an effective date for this revision of July 1, 2012. On July 10, 2012, Midstate requested a waiver of ARSD 20:10:29:10; 20:10:29:12, and 20:10:29:16. On July 13 and 16, 2012, Midstate filed revised tariff pages. On August 27, 2012, Granite filed its responses to staff's data request.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the requested tariff changes? AND shall the Commission grant the requested waiver? OR how shall the Commission proceed?
On July 26, 2012, the Commission received a filing from Granite Telecommunications, LLC (Granite). This filing proposes to modify its switched exchange access tariff, South Dakota P.S.C. Tariff No. 3, to comply with the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, in Docket Nos. WC Docket No. 10-90, et al., FCC 11-161, by reducing its intrastate switched exchange access rate by 50 percent of the differential between its intrastate rate and interstate rate in accordance with the ICC/USF Transformational Order. Pursuant to the FCC's June 5, 2012, Clarification Order, DA 12-870, a July 3, 2012, effective date is requested for this filing.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the requested waiver and tariff revisions?
On August 10, 2012, the Commission received an application by Budget PrePay, Inc., dba Budget Mobile requesting to be designated as a Lifeline-only eligible telecommunications carrier throughout non-rural wire centers pursuant to SDCL §49-31-78 and Section 214(e) of the Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended, for the limited purpose of receiving federal support for the provision of prepaid wireless Lifeline service to eligible South Dakota residents. On August 29, 2012, Budget filed its responses to staff's data request.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant any waivers that were requested and designate the Company an ETC for the Designated Service Area for purposes of receiving federal Lifeline universal service support?
On August 10, 2012, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §252 for approval of an ICC VolP Amendment to an Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and Sprint Communications Company L.P.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement?
Items for Commission Discussion
Announcements
- Commissioners will attend the Northern Electric Cooperative annual meeting, Monday, September 17, 2012, at the Civic Arena, Aberdeen, S.D.
- Commissioners will attend the South Dakota County Convention, Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at the Sheraton Sioux Falls & Convention Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.
- The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, September 25, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D.
- An ad hoc commission meeting will be held Tuesday, October 2, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for October 9 and 23, 2012.
/S/Cindy Kemnitz
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager puc@state.sd.us
September 5, 2012
