Commission Agendas | previous page
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
July 5, 2016, at 1:30 P.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 10:00 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, July 5, 2016. 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 June 21, 2016. (Staff: Joy Lashley)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
On June 30, 2014, Black Hills Power, Inc. (BHP) filed an application for a permit to construct the South Dakota portion of a 230 kV transmission line, which will run from northeastern Wyoming to the Rapid City area in South Dakota and associated modifications to the Lange Substation in Pennington County, South Dakota. The South Dakota portion includes approximately 45.4 miles of transmission line and will cross both private lands and federal lands managed by the Black Hills National Forest Service. Specifically, approximately 9.1 miles of the proposed Facility will cross private land and approximately 36.3 miles will cross National Forest Service lands. On December 24, 2014, the Commission issued its Final Decision and Order granting the transmission facility permit as requested in the Application subject to the terms and conditions in the Settlement Stipulation. On November 3, 2015, the Commission issued an Order Granting Approval of Material Deviation from the Described Centerline. On June 17, 2016, BHP filed a Second Notice of Material Deviation from the Described Centerline and requested approval of the deviation pursuant to paragraph 22 of the Settlement Stipulation.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant BHP's request for approval of a material deviation?
On April 20, 2016, NorthWestern Corporation, dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) filed an Application for Approval of Tariff Revisions to its Bill Format and Sample Forms for its South Dakota Electric Rate Schedule. Sample forms being modified include disconnect notices and other customer notices. The bill format change will impact all of NorthWestern's electric customers and the letter changes will impact only customers receiving such notification. NorthWestern's proposed effective date for the tariff revisions is June 1, 2016. The Commission considered this matter at its regularly scheduled Commission meeting on May 24, 2016. The Commission requested additional changes and the docket was deferred. NorthWestern plans to file revised tariff sheets on or before Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve NorthWestern's tariff revisions with an effective date of July 5, 2016?
On April 28, 2016, Northern States Power Company, doing business as Xcel Energy (Xcel Energy), filed a petition seeking approval of miscellaneous tariff modifications of the company's electric rate book, including revisions to the bill backer, the disconnection notice, and the disconnection backer. The revisions are intended to increase clarity and reduce complaints. The tariff revisions will impact approximately 90,000 South Dakota customers. Xcel Energy's proposed effective date for the tariff revisions would be the date of the order approving the petition.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Xcel Energy's tariff revisions?
Natural Gas
On June 30, 2015, the Commission received an application by Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU) for approval to increase rates for natural gas service to customers in its South Dakota service territory by approximately $1.5 million annually or approximately 3.1 percent based on MDU's test year ending December 31, 2014. The Company states a typical residential natural gas customer using 72 dk on an annual basis would see an increase of $2.21 per month or 4.64 percent. The proposed changes may potentially affect approximately 57,600 natural gas customers in MDU's South Dakota service territory. On July 22, 2015, the Commission issued an Order Assessing Filing Fee and Suspending Operation of Proposed Rates. On July 29, 2015, the Federal Executive Agencies (FEA) filed a Petition to Intervene. On August 20, 2015, the Commission granted intervention to the FEA. On November 23, 2015, MDU filed a Notice of Intent to Implement Interim Natural Gas Service Rates effective on and after January 1, 2016. On May 19, 2016, Staff, MDU and FEA filed a Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation and Settlement Stipulation. On May 20, 2016, Staff filed its Staff Memorandum. On May 27, 2016, MDU filed its Notice to Customer of the Rate Increase. On June 15, 2016, the Commission issued an Order Granting Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation. On June 27, 2016, MDU filed for approval of tariff sheets that were mistakenly omitted from the settlement stipulation and additional sheets requested by Staff.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff sheets with an effective date of July 1, 2016?
On April 20, 2016, NorthWestern Corporation, dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) filed an Application for Approval of Tariff Revisions to its Bill Format and Sample Forms for its South Dakota Gas Rate Schedule. Sample forms being modified include disconnect notices and other customer notices. The bill format change will impact all of NorthWestern's natural gas customers and the letter changes will impact only customers receiving such notification. NorthWestern's proposed effective date for the tariff revisions is June 1, 2016. The Commission considered this matter at its regularly scheduled Commission meeting on May 24, 2016. The Commission requested additional changes and the docket was deferred. NorthWestern plans to file revised tariff sheets on or before Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve NorthWestern's tariff revisions with an effective date of July 5, 2016?
Announcements
-
The PUC offices will be closed Monday, July 4, 2016, in observance of Independence Day.
-
Commissioners and staff will attend an implosive connector demonstration hosted by CapX2020 at 9:00 a.m. CDT, Tuesday, July 12, 2016 (weather permitting) at the CapX2020 construction laydown yard, seven miles southeast of Clear Lake, S.D.
-
The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, July 19, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol, Pierre, S.D.
- Commissioners will attend the Summer Committee Meetings of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, July 24-27, 2016, at the Omni Nashville Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for August 2 and 16, 2016.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
June 28, 2016
