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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
February 8, 2018, at 2:00 P.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 Wednesday, February 7, 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
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting and the Show Cause Hearing Held on January 16, 2018 (Staff: Joy Lashley)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
1. EL17-051 In the Matter of the Joint Request for Service Rights Exception between West Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. and City of Fort Pierre (Staff Analyst: Darren Kearney; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On December 6, 2017, the Commission received a Consent and Agreement for Electric Service from West Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. (West Central) and the City of Fort Pierre that allows the City of Fort Pierre to provide single phase electric service, not to exceed 250 KVA, to an RV Park Campground located in West Central’s electric service territory.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the requested service rights exception between West Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. and the City of Fort Pierre?
2. EL18-001 In the Matter of the Request for Approval of an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between City of Pierre and City of Fort Pierre (Staff Analyst: Darren Kearney; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On January 5, 2018, Commission staff filed an Electric Service Territory Boundary Agreement between the City of Pierre and the City of Fort Pierre. 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?
3. EL18-003 In the Matter of the Application by Dakota Range I, LLC and Dakota Range II, LLC for a Permit of a Wind Energy Facility in Grant County and Codington County, South Dakota, for the Dakota Range Wind Project (Staff Analysts: Darren Kearney, Jon Thurber; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards, Amanda Reiss)
On January 24, 2018, Dakota Range I, LLC and Dakota Range II, LLC filed with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) an Application for an energy facility permit to construct the Dakota Range Wind Project (Project), a wind energy facility located on approximately 44,500 acres of land in Grant County and Codington County, South Dakota, approximately 10 miles northeast of Watertown, South Dakota and the total installed capacity of the Project would not exceed 302.4 MW nameplate capacity. The proposed Project includes up to 72 wind turbine generators, access roads to turbines and associated facilities, underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV) electrical collector lines connecting the turbines to the collection substation, underground fiber-optic cable for turbine communications co-located with the collector lines, a 34.5 to 345-kV collection substation, up to five permanent meteorological towers, and operations and maintenance facility. The Project would interconnect to the high-voltage transmission grid via the Big Stone South to Ellendale 345-kV transmission line which crosses the Project site. The Project is expected to be completed in 2021. Applicant estimates the total construction cost of the Project to be $380 million.
TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee not to exceed $390,000 with an initial deposit of $8,000? And shall the Commission authorize the executive director to enter into necessary consulting contracts?
Telecommunications
1. TC17-067 In the Matter of the Application of Birch Communications, Inc. for a Certificate of Authority to Provide Local Exchange and Interexchange Long Distance Services in South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On November 29, 2017, the Commission received a filing from Birch Communications, Inc. (Birch) for a certificate of authority to provide local exchange service in South Dakota. This application is being filed in connection with an internal corporate reorganization pursuant to which Birch will serve large business customers and Birch’s wholly owned subsidiary, Ionex Communications North, Inc. will serve residential and single-line business customers. On December 4, 2017, Birch supplemented its application to include interexchange long distance services. On January 10, 2018, Birch responded to Staff’s data requests.
TODAY, shall the Commission Grant Birch Communications, Inc.’s request for a certificate of authority to provide local exchange and interexchange services in South Dakota?
2. TC18-001 In the Matter of the Filing by Peerless Network of South Dakota, LLC for Approval of its Switched Access Services Tariff No. 1 (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On January 16, 2018, the Commission received an application from Peerless Network of South Dakota, LLC (Peerless) requesting approval of its initial Switched Access Services Tariff No. 1. On January 31, 2018, Peerless filed a revised tariff addressing concerns from Staff.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Peerless Network of South Dakota, LLC’s Switched Access Services Tariff No. 1?
Items for Commission Discussion
Announcements
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A public input hearing for docket 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 will be held Monday, February 5, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. CST in the American Legion Hall, 103 N. Commercial Street, Clark, S.D.
- The PUC offices will be closed Monday, February 19, 2018, in observance of Presidents Day.
- The next regularly scheduled commission meeting will be Thursday, February 22, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, S.D.
- PUC commissioners and staff will meet with consumers at the Sioux Empire Home Show, February 23-25, 2018, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center & Arena, Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for March 2 and 20, 2018.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
February 1, 2018
