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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
March 26, 2013, 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, March 25, 2013. 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 Hearing and Commission Meeting Held on March 12, 2013 (Staff: Joy Irving)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
On June 29, 2012, the Commission received an application by Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for approval to increase rates for electric service to customers in its South Dakota service territory by approximately $19.368 million annually or approximately 11.53% based on Xcel's 2011 test year. The Company states a typical residential electric customer using 750 kWh per month would see an increase of 12.7%, or $9.82 per month. The proposed rates may potentially affect approximately 85,000 customers in Xcel's South Dakota service territory. On March 15, 2013, a Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation, Settlement Stipulation and Staff Memorandum were filed with the Commission.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation and approve the terms and conditions stipulated therein? OR how shall the Commission proceed?
Gas and Electric
GE13-001 will be heard at 11:15 a.m. CDT or after the completion of all agenda items whichever is later.
On February 22, 2013, the Commission received a filing from MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican) that included its 2012 Energy Efficiency Annual Report, the reconciliation for the 2012 Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor for the 2012 calendar year, and MidAmerican's 2013 Energy Efficiency Plan Update. MidAmerican requested approval of modifications to its 2013 Energy Efficiency Plan and Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Rider, which includes 2012 reconciliation amounts, the 2012 performance incentive and 2013 budget amounts. MidAmerican also requested an effective date of April 2, 2013.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the 2012 reconciliation amounts and the 2012 performance incentive? AND, shall the Commission approve the requested modifications to the 2013 Energy Efficiency Plan? AND, shall the Commission approve the resulting changes to the Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Rider tariff sheets with an effective date of April 2, 2013?
Telecommunications
On January 10, 2013, Trans National Communications International, Inc. (Trans National) filed its initial South Dakota intrastate access tariff for approval. On March 15 and 18, 2013, Trans National responded to staff's data requests.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed initial access tariff?
2. In the Matter of the Request for Approval of Intercarrier Compensation Bill and Keep Amendments to an Interconnection Agreement in Dockets TC13-018, TC13-019 and TC13-020
On February 7, 2013, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 251/252 for approval of the ICC Bill and Keep Amendment to the Reciprocal Transport and Termination Agreement between Faith Municipal Telephone Company and New Cingular Wireless, LLC, and its Commercial Mobile Radio Service operating affiliates, dba AT&T Mobility for the State of South Dakota.
On February 7, 2013, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 251/252 for approval of the ICC Bill and Keep Amendment to the Reciprocal Transport and Termination Agreement between Brookings Municipal Utilities dba Swiftel Communications and New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, and its Commercial Mobile Radio Service operating affiliates, dba AT&T Mobility for the State of South Dakota.
On February 7, 2013, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 251/252 for approval of the ICC Bill and Keep Amendment to the Reciprocal Transport and Termination Agreement between West River Telecommunications Cooperative and New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, and its Commercial Mobile Radio Service operating affiliates, dba AT&T Mobility for the State of South Dakota.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement for the above dockets?
On February 25, 2013, the Commission received a Petition of Telrite Corporation dba Life Wireless (Telrite) requesting Limited Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) pursuant to Section 214(e)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, Sections 54.101 through 54.207 of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules, and provisions of South Dakota Public Utilities Commission rules and regulations. The petition states that Telrite seeks ETC designation solely to provide Lifeline service to qualifying South Dakota consumers; it will not seek access to funds from the federal Universal Service Fund for the purposes of participating in the Link-Up program or providing service to high cost areas. On March 12, 2013, the South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA) filed a Petition to Intervene.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant intervention to any parties that may have filed?
Items for Commission Discussion
- A discussion will be held about certification requirements for eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs). Under the Commission's rules, all ETCs must submit their annual certification requests by June 1, 2013. The FCC has now adopted annual reporting requirements for high-cost recipients. A number of these reporting requirements are due by July 1, 2013, and are similar to the Commission certification requirements. Interested persons may comment on how the Commission should handle upcoming ETC certification dockets.
- discussion will be held about the FCC's collection of study area boundary data. In orders released by the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau, the FCC has added data specifications for the collection of study area boundary data to be used as part of the implementation of certain universal service reforms adopted by the FCC. In its most recent order on this issue, the FCC has concluded that state commissions may certify to the accuracy of study area boundary data and submit it on behalf of incumbent local exchange carriers operating in their states. Interested persons may comment on how the Commission should proceed with this issue.
Announcements
- Commissioners and staff will meet with consumers at the Black Hills Home Show, March 22-24, 2013, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, S.D.
- Commissioners will attend the South Dakota Municipal League District Meeting, Wednesday, March 27, 2012, at 6 p.m. CDT at the Grand Opera House, Dell Rapids, S.D.
- The PUC offices will close at noon CDT Friday, March 29, 2013, in observance of Good Friday.
- The PUC will host the 2013 South Dakota/North Dakota/Wyoming Pipeline Safety Operators Training on April 3-4, 2013, at the Ramkota Conference Center, Rapid City, S.D.
- The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for April 23 and May 7, 2013.
/S/Cindy Kemnitz
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
puc@state.sd.us
March 19, 2013
