Commission Agendas | previous page
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
June 23, 2015, 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, June 22, 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.
AMENDED AGENDA OF COMMISSION MEETING
****Note addition of EL15-017 and title change to NG15-004. ****
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on May 26, 2015 (Staff: Joy Lashley)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
On April 15, 2015, the Commission received a filing by Black Hills Power, Inc. (Company) for approval of tariff revisions creating a new Meter Data and Privacy Policy. The policy filed was adopted by Black Hills Corporation on June 6, 2014, and the Company requests it be inserted in Section 5, Rules and Regulations, of its South Dakota Electric Rate Book. The Company requests an effective date of July 1, 2015.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the tariff revisions?
On May 7, 2015, Dakota Access, LLC (Dakota Access) filed a petition for a service territory exception pursuant to SDCL 49-34A-56. Dakota Access requests authorization to take electric service from NorthWestern Energy. Dakota Access states it would be a new customer within the territory of Dakota Energy Cooperative, Inc. Dakota Access now requests to withdraw its petition.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the request to withdraw the petition?
On May 26, 2015, the Commission received a filing from Good Samaritan Society for determination of the metering requirements for a planned fifty unit low-income housing project in southern Rapid City for the elderly. For efficiency and maintenance reasons, a central HVAC system is utilized. This criterion precludes the requirement for individual meters per ARSD 20:10:26:04 (6). The estimated additional cost to install individual metering on this project would be approximately $160,000.
TODAY, shall the Commission determine that the electric utility system of the building qualifies for an exemption from individual metering requirements under 20:10:26:04(6)? OR, shall the Commission grant a variance from the master metering requirements for the building pursuant to ARSD 20:10:26:05?
On June 3, 2015, the Commission received a joint request from Xcel Energy (Xcel) and Sioux Valley SouthWestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Sioux Valley) The request seeks to modify an existing service territory boundary in Lake County, South Dakota. The agreement between Xcel and Sioux Valley, if approved, would result in a permanent service territory change for the specified location.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the Joint Request for an Electric Service Territory Boundary Change?
Natural Gas
On May 20, 2015, NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) filed a request for a contract with deviations with South Dakota State University (SDSU). With this request SDSU would pay a contracted customer and energy charge for a period of 10 years. NorthWestern requests an effective date of July 1, 2015. Also with this filing, NorthWestern proposes to fix the execution date for the Prairie Ethanol Plant. On June 11, 2015, NorthWestern responded to Staff's data requests.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the contract with deviations and associated tariff revisions? AND, shall the Commission approve the revised Prairie Ethanol Plant execution date?
Telecommunications
On May 22, 2015, CenturyLink Communications Company filed for approval of revisions to its Access Service Tariff. This filing is the fourth step in implementing the Transitional Intrastate Access Service reductions mandated by the Federal Communications Commission's November 18, 2011, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WC Docket Nos. 10-90, etc. (FCC 11-161). A July 1, 2015, effective date is requested.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions?
On May 27, 2015, Teleport Communications America, LLC (TCAL) filed a request for approval of revisions to its access services tariff. On June 9, 2015, TCAL filed a letter requesting withdrawal of tariff revisions.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant Teleport Communications America, LLC's request for withdrawal?
On June 1, 2015, the Commission received a filing from CenturyLink Communications Company, LLC requesting approval of revisions to its Exchange and Network Tariff No. 1, Page 14. The purpose of this filing is to revise the late charges applied to customer bills. CenturyLink requests an effective date of July 1, 2015. On June 15, 2015, CenturyLink responded to Staff's data requests.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve CenturyLink Communications Company, LLC's revisions to its Exchange and Network Tariff No. 1?
Items for Commission Discussion
Announcements
-
The PUC offices will be closed Friday, July 3, 2015, in observance of Independence Day.
-
The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, July 7, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol, Pierre, S.D.
- A public input hearing for Docket EL15-020 will be held Thursday, July 9, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. MDT in the Newell School Multi-Purpose Room, 501 Dartmouth Avenue, Newell, S.D.
- Commissioners and staff will attend the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners' Summer Committee Meetings July 12-15, 2015, at the New York Marriott Marquis, New York City, New York.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for July 21 and August 5, 2015.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
June 16, 2015
