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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
Janaury 3, 2018 at 9:30 A.M. CST
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. CST on Tuesday, Janaury 2, 2018. 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
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
1. EL17-053 In the Matter of the Request for Approval of an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. dba Sioux Valley Energy and Southeastern Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Staff Analyst: Lorena Reichert; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On December 11, 2017, Commission staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. dba Sioux Valley Energy and Southeastern 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 requests 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?
2. EL17-054 In the Matter of the Request for Approval of an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. and White Municipal Electric (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On December 12, 2017, Commission staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between Sioux Valley Energy Electric Cooperative, Inc. and White Municipal Electric. 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 requests approval of the agreement to update official mapping data to properly reflect the service territory boundaries shared by the utilities in this docket. On December 13, 2017, staff filed a corrected Exhibit B that added section lines.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed electric service territory boundary agreement?
3. EL17-055 In the Matter of the Application by Crocker Wind Farm, LLC for a Permit of a Wind Energy Facility and a 345 kV Transmission Line in Clark County, South Dakota, for Crocker Wind Farm (Staff Analysts: Darren Kearney, Jon Thurber; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards, Amanda Reiss)
On December 15, 2017, Crocker Wind Farm, LLC filed with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) an Application for an energy facility permit and a 345 kV Transmission Line (Projects) to construct the Crocker Wind Farm, a wind energy facility located on approximately 29,331 acres of privately owned land in Clark County, South Dakota, approximately 8 miles north of Clark, South Dakota. The proposed projects include up to 120 wind turbines, associated access roads, a new collector substation, an operations and maintenance facility, and associated 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission in Clark County, South Dakota. The projects will result in the installation of approximately 5.2 miles of overhead transmission that will be wholly located within the Wind Farm’s boundary. The Transmission Line Route will run from a substation in Section 30 of Township 119N, Range 58W to the Point-of-Interconnect (POI), which is located approximately 2 miles north of the town of Crocker in Section 9 of Township 119N, Range 58W. Two routing options from the substation in Section 30 are under consideration. At the POI, the power will transfer to the Basin Electric Groton-to-Watertown 345 kV transmission line, part of the Southwest Power Pool, Inc./Western Area Power Administration Transmission line portfolio in Clark County, South Dakota.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee not to exceed $500,000 with an initial deposit of $8,000? And shall the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into necessary consulting contracts?
Natural Gas
1. NG17-011 In the Matter of the Filing by MidAmerican Energy Company for Approval of Tariff Revisions regarding Farm Tap Service (Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Mary Zanter, Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards, Amanda Reiss)
On July 24, 2017, MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican) filed a letter requesting a docket be opened to consider a proposal that would allow MidAmerican to provide services to a number of farm tap customers connected to an interstate pipeline owned and operated by Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern), as a result of discussions between MidAmerican and Commission staff (staff). On August 23, 2017, the Commission issued an order approving tariff revisions on less than 30 days’ notice. On October 30, 2017, the Commission issued an order approving tariff revisions. The tariff revisions approved by the Commission include a requirement for initial safety inspections of the customer-owned farm tap facilities prior to commencing service with MidAmerican. In the event the customer-owned service line does not comply with the safety requirements outlined in the tariff, the service line must be repaired or replaced before the customer may begin taking service. MidAmerican provided updates on the status of the transition at the December 5, and December 19, 2017, Commission meetings. In response to Commission discussion at the December 5, 2017, Commission meeting, staff filed a memorandum regarding disconnection rules application to farm tap customers and a PHMSA interpretation letter regarding farm tap master metering. At the December 19, 2017, Commission meeting, the Commission requested a final update be provided at the January 3, 2018, Commission meeting.
TODAY, how shall the Commission proceed?
Telecommunications
1. TC17-066 In the Matter of the Application of BlueBird Communications SD LLC for a Certificate of Authority to Provide Local Exchange Services in South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On November 2, 2017, the Commission received a filing from BlueBird Communications SD LLC (BlueBird) for a Certificate of Authority to provide facilities based local telecommunications services, including wholesale telecommunications services to other carriers and retail telecommunications services, serving both residential and business customers within the CenturyLink footprint in South Dakota using a combination of its own facilities and those of the incumbent provider. On November 17, and December 1, 2017, BlueBird responded to Staff’s data requests. On December 19, 2017, the Commission deferred this docket to the January 3, 2018, Commission meeting. On December 20, 2017, the Commission received BlueBird’s South Dakota sales tax license number.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant BlueBird Communications SD LLC’s request for a Certificate of Authority to Provide Local Exchange Services in South Dakota?
2. TC17-068 In the Matter of the Approval of an Unbundled Network Elements Construction Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and Granite Telecommunications LLC (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On December 1, 2017, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 252, for approval of a CLEC-Requested Unbundled Network Elements Construction Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and Granite Telecommunications, LLC for the State of South Dakota.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement?
Items for Commission Discussion
Announcements
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An Ad Hoc Commission Meeting will be held Friday, December 29, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol, Pierre, S.D.
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The PUC office will be closed Monday, January 1, 2018, in observance of the New Year’s holiday.
- Commissioners will attend the Mid-America Regulatory Commissioners Retreat, January 11-13, 2018, at the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas.
- The PUC offices will be closed Monday, January 15, 2018, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- A show cause hearing for the following dockets will be held Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 1:00 p.m. CST in the Floyd Matthew Training Center in the Foss Building, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D.
- TC17-069 - In the Matter of Business Discount Plan Inc.’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-070 - In the Matter of CSDVRS LLC’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-071 - In the Matter of iNetworks Group Inc.’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-072 - In the Matter of NECC Telecom Inc.’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-073 - In the Matter of Telnyx’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-074 - In the Matter of Patriot Mobile LLC’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax
- TC17-075 - In the Matter of Tempo Telecom LLC’s Failure to Timely Pay the Gross Receipts Tax .
- The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. CST in the Floyd Matthew Training Center in the Foss Building, 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D.
- The PUC will host a briefing for legislators on Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. CST in Room 414 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D. The agenda is to discuss current issues related farm taps for natural gas service, renewable energy development, Keystone Pipeline, telecommunications, grain warehouses, pipeline safety and energy regulation.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for January 25 and February 8, 2018.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
December 27, 2017
