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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
March 18, 2014, 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 17, 2014. 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 Meeting Held on February 18, 2014 (Staff: Joy Lashley)Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
Electric
On November 13, 2013, Commission Staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Lake Region Electric Association, Inc. and NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy. 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. Commission Staff asks for approval of the agreement to update official mapping data to properly reflect the service territory boundaries shared by the utilities in this docket.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed electric service territory boundary agreement?
On December 3, 2013, Commission Staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Traverse Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Lake Region Electric Association, 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. Commission Staff asks for approval of the agreement to update official mapping data to properly reflect the service territory boundaries shared by the utilities in this docket.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed electric service territory boundary agreement?
On February 19, 2014, Commission Staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Lake Region Electric Association, Inc. and Northern 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. Commission Staff asks for approval of the agreement to update official mapping data to properly reflect the service territory boundaries shared by the utilities in this docket.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed electric service territory boundary agreement?
On February 21, 2014, the Commission received a petition from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for approval of its 2014 Transmission Cost Recovery (TCR) Rider, TCR rate factor, and tracker account report. For 2014, Xcel proposes to continue recovery of the South Dakota jurisdictional portion of the revenue requirements related to 22 transmission projects located throughout its service territory. No new projects are being added at this time. Xcel proposes to recover $3.97 million associated with these projects for the 2014 calendar year. Included in the $3.97 million figure is the 2013 over-collection balance of $407,217. The total of the transmission investment costs and the tracker balance results in an average bill impact of $1.95 per month for a typical residential electric customer using 750 kWh per month. This is an increase of $1.95 per month from the current TCR Rider recovery. The Company proposes to implement a rate of $0.002606 per kWh applied to all energy billed to each customer class beginning April 1, 2014, through December 2014. This represents an increase of $0.002606 from the existing rate of $0.00 per kWh.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee up to the amount of $50,000 to account for actual expenses incurred in review of this filing commencing from the filing date? AND, shall the Commission suspend the imposition of the tariff for 180 days beyond February 21, 2014?
On March 10, 2014, the Commission received a petition from Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) requesting approval of revisions to Section 1.05 sheets 12, 14 and 16 of its Tariff. The purpose of the revisions is to update Otter Tail's e-business efforts to improve services to customers that wish to use electronic bill paying services. The changes include a new vendor name for credit card payments, a lower convenience fee, a new vendor phone number, and other minor changes. The changes will have no impact on Otter Tail's revenue requirements. Otter Tail requests an effective date of March 18, 2014. Otter Tail is also requesting permission pursuant to ARSD 20:10:13:20 to have the proposed changes take effect on less than 30 days' notice.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the tariff revisions on less than 30 days' notice, with an effective date of March 18, 2014?Pipeline Safety
In June and July of 2013, the South Dakota Pipeline Safety Staff conducted a scheduled inspection Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU) facilities in the East River Area. The inspection uncovered what Staff determined to be probable violations of 49 CFR 192.625 and 49 CFR 192.805(b). As a result of the violations, on August 7, 2013, Staff filed a complaint alleging violations and requesting Commission approval of a civil penalty against MDU pursuant to SDCL 49-34B-12. On December 23, 2013, the parties filed a Stipulation to Amend Complaint, which removed the alleged violation of 49 CFR 192.625, leaving only the violation of 49 CFR 192.805(b). On March 10, 2014, the parties filed a Settlement Stipulation and Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation, which, if approved, would resolve all issues in this docket.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation?
Telecommunications
In orders released by the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 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 and 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. At its March 26, 2013, meeting, the Commission considered how to proceed regarding the issue of whether the Commission should submit and certify the study area boundary data. The Commission unanimously voted to open a docket to consider these issues and set April 3, 2013, as the deadline for written comments. The Commission further found that it would make its decision at its April 9, 2013, meeting. At its April 9, 2013, meeting, the Commission unanimously voted to provide certification of study area boundary data to the FCC. At its June 18, 2013, meeting, the Commission unanimously voted to certify the study area boundaries and submit them to the FCC. On June 25, 2013, Staff filed a memorandum notifying the Commission that study area boundaries were submitted to the FCC. On January 9, 2014, the FCC issued an Order requiring study area boundary filers to "review and recertify their study area boundary data every two years and provide updated data when study area boundaries change." On March 7, 2014, Commission Staff filed a memorandum requesting the Commission delegate the authority to certify changes as they are made.
TODAY, shall the Commission delegate to Staff the authority to certify study area boundary changes as they are made?
On March 3, 2014, Onvoy, Inc. dba Onvoy Voice Services (Onvoy) filed for a waiver which would allow Onvoy to temporarily have two LRNs on one switch in LATA 640.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the request for the waiver?
Items for Commission Discussion
1. Following the Commission's consideration of a master metering exception determination in Docket EL13-034 on November 22, 2013, the Commission discussed potentially undertaking a rule making at its December 3, 2013, regular meeting. The majority of the discussion focused on repealing the Commission's master metering rules found in ARSD Chapter 20:10:26, and no motion was made to initiate a rule making. Commission Staff requests a discussion on the Commission's role in deciding when individual metering is not required, as laid out in ARSD 20:10:26:04(6). Specifically, the rule requires the applicant to "notify the commission so it may determine whether the applicant's system falls within this exception or whether the applicant is required to file an application for a variance." Commission Staff would prefer the Commission either undertake a rule making to remove this requirement or draft an order delegating the Commission's determination to Commission Staff.
Announcements
- The PUC will have an exhibit booth at the Black Hills Home Show, March 28-30, 2014, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, S.D.
- The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for April 15 and 30, 2014.
/S/Cindy Kemnitz
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
puc@state.sd.us
March 11, 2014
