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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
January 18, 2019, at 9:30 A.M. CST
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
NOTE: Docket participants who wish to join this meeting by conference call, should contact the Commission at 605-773-3201 by 5:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, January 17, 2019, to reserve a phone line. Lines are limited and assigned 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 docket discussion at 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 webcast 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 December 28, 2018, and January 8, 2019 (Staff: Joy Lashley)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
1. EL18-052 In the Matter of the Filing by Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Tariff Revisions regarding Customer Service Forms (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On November 29, 2018, the Commission received a letter from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for Approval of Tariff Revisions regarding Customer Service Forms. Xcel is adding the website link to the forms to the tariff pages as well as adding in new miscellaneous tariff pages. Xcel requests the revised tariffs be effective on the date of the Order approving this Petition.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions?
2. EL18-061 In the Matter of Randall Community Water District’s Petition for a Declaratory Ruling Determining if South Dakota Law Would Allow Petitioner to Develop and Own Its Own Renewable Energy Generation System (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On December 19, 2018, the Commission received a Petition for a Declaratory Ruling from Randall Community Water District (RCWD) to determine if South Dakota law would allow RCWD to develop and own its own renewable energy generation system. Charles Mix Electric Association, Inc.; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; East River Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; South Dakota Electric Utility Companies; and South Dakota Rural Electric Association, filed petitions for intervention. On January 7, 2019, Commission staff filed a request for oral argument.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant intervention to any party that may have filed? AND, shall the Commission grant staff’s request for oral arguments? OR, how shall the Commission proceed?
Telecommunications
1. TC18-058 In the Matter of the Application of Midcontinent Communications for an Amended Certificate of Authority to Provide Local Exchange Service in Defined Census Blocks Within Rural Areas in Moody, Davison, Minnehaha, Hanson, Beadle, Kingsbury and Codington Counties and for a Waiver of ARSD 20:10:32:15 (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On October 22, 2018, the Commission received a petition from Midcontinent Communications (Midco) for an amended certificate of authority to provide local exchange service in certain census blocks in South Dakota as well as requesting a waiver of ARSD 20:10:32:15. Midco has been awarded Connect America Fund II (CAF II) funding from the Federal Communications Commission and is required to obtain eligible telecommunications carrier status in all of the census blocks in which Midco was awarded CAF II funding (CAF II Census Blocks). On January 4, 2019, a Joint Stipulation for Settlement and a settlement agreement between all intervening parties, Venture Communications Cooperative; Santel Communications Cooperative; Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc.; South Dakota Telecommunications Association, and Midco was filed with the Commission.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Midcontinent Communications’ request for an Amended Certificate of Authority? AND, shall the Commission approve Midcontinent Communications’ request for an eligible telecommunications carrier certification in the CAF II Census Blocks? AND, shall the Commission grant Midcontinent Communications’ request for waiver of ARSD 20:10:32:18 as to the geographic areas outside of the CAF Census Blocks that are within the Venture, Santel, Interstate, and Frontier study areas listed herein? OR, how shall the Commission proceed?
2. TC19-001 In the Matter of the Filing by Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC for Approval of Revisions to its Exchange and Network Services Tariff No. 1 (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On January 3, 2019, the Commission received a filing from Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC requesting approval of revisions to its Exchange and Network Services Tariff No. 1, Section 2, Pages 14 and 15. The purpose of this filing is to revise the late payment and returned payment charges applied to customer bills. On January 8, 2019, CenturyLink filed revised tariff pages requesting approval on less than thirty days’ notice with an effective date of February 1, 2019. On January 10, 2019, CenturyLink responded to staff’s data requests.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC's revisions to its Exchange and Network Services Tariff No. 1, on less than thirty days’ notice, with an effective date of February 1, 2019?
Public Comment
Individuals who wish to make public comments to the commission may do so in person during this time. All who offer public comment are requested to sign in at the commission meeting. Time limits for comments may be determined at the discretion of the chairperson.
Announcements
- The PUC will host a Briefing for Legislators on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 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 to renewable energy development, telecommunications, grain warehouses, pipeline safety and energy regulation.
- The PUC office will be closed Monday, January 21, 2019, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- The PUC will host an Open House for Legislators on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 7:30-11:00 a.m. CST in the PUC office, first floor of the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
- A public input hearing for docket EL18-053 - In the Matter of the Application of Deuel Harvest Wind Energy LLC for a Permit of a Wind Energy Facility and a 345-kV Transmission Line in Deuel County, will be held Thursday, January 24, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. CST in the Clear Lake Community Center, 218 Third Avenue S., Clear Lake, South Dakota.
Commissioners and staff will meet with representatives of the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. CST in the Department of Transportation Commission Meeting Room, Becker-Hansen Building, 700 E. Broadway Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota. The agenda is to discuss SPP’s holistic integrated tariff team and SPP’s Regional State Committee/Organization of MISO States (RSC/OMS) joint task force.CANCELED.
- The next regular commission meeting will be Friday, February 1, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
- A public input hearing for docket EL18-059 - In the Matter of the Application of Lookout Solar Park I, LLC for a Permit of a Solar Energy Facility in Oglala Lakota County, will be held Wednesday, February 6, 2019, at 5:30 p.m. MST in the Hermosa School Gymnasium, 11 Fourth Street, Hermosa, South Dakota.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for February 15 and March 1, 2019.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
January 11, 2019
