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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
October 30, 2019, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
Room 423, 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 10:00 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 29, 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 Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on October 15, 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. EL19-026 In the Matter of the Application by Tatanka Ridge Wind, LLC for a Permit of a Wind Energy Facility in Deuel County, South Dakota (Staff Analysts: Darren Kearney, Jon Thurber, Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards, Amanda Reiss)
On June 17, 2019, the Commission received an Application for a Facility Permit (Application) from Tatanka Ridge Wind, LLC (Tatanka or Applicant), a subsidiary of Avangrid Renewables, LLC. Tatanka proposes to construct a wind energy facility to be located in Deuel County, South Dakota, known as the Tatanka Ridge Wind Project (Project). The Project would be situated within an approximately 27,900-acre project area, located near the towns of Toronto and Brandt (Project Area). The Project Area is in Blom, Brandt, Grange, Hidewood, and Scandinavia Townships. The total installed capacity of the Project would be approximately 155 megawatts (MW) of nameplate capacity. The proposed Project includes up to 56 wind turbine generators, access roads to turbines and associated facilities, above/underground electrical collector lines, communication systems, a collection substation, one permanent meteorological tower, less than 0.5-mile long 345-kV gen-tie transmission line, and an operations and maintenance facility. The Project would interconnect to the regional electric grid via the Astoria substation, a new Otter Tail Power Company interconnection substation scheduled to be operational in 2020, located in Scandinavia Township. Tatanka has entered into two purchase power agreements, one with Google for 98 MW and one with Dairyland Power Cooperative for the balance. The Project is expected to be completed in 2020. Applicant estimates the total construction cost to be $216 million. A public input hearing was held on August 7, 2019. On October 4, 2019, Applicant and staff filed a Settlement Stipulation and Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation. On October 22, 2019, the Commission issued an Order Granting Order Granting Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation; Order Approving Settlement Stipulation, which resolved all issues with the exception of sound and ice throw and reserved the discussion on whooping cranes. On October 23, 2019, Applicant filed a Motion for Telephonic Testimony requesting witness Annette Sturgill be permitted to appear telephonically for the evidentiary hearing.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant Applicant’s Motion for Telephonic Testimony?
2. EL19-036 In the Matter of the Joint Request for Service Rights Exception between Southeastern Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Douglas Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Staff Analyst: Lorena Reichert; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On October 4, 2019, the Commission received an Exception to Electric Service on Assigned Areas between Southeastern Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Southeastern) and Douglas Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Douglas) to allow Douglas to provide single-phase electric service to a property within the southwest corner of Section 19 in Township 100 North, Range 61 West, 5th P.M., Hutchinson County, located in Southeastern’ s territory. The companies responded to staff’s data request on October 15, 2019.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the requested service rights exception between Southeastern and Douglas?
Gas and Electric
1. GE19-002 In the Matter of the Filing by MidAmerican Energy Company for the Approval of Its Reconciliation and Annual Report for 2018 and 2018 Reconciliation for the Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On April 12, 2019, the Commission received a filing from MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican) that included the company’s 2018 Energy Efficiency Plan Annual Report and reconciliation of the company’s Energy Efficiency Plan cost recoveries for the 2018 calendar year. Further, MidAmerican requested approval of its 2019 Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factors that account for the 2018 reconciliation amounts, the 2018 performance incentive, and the 2019 Energy Efficiency Plan budget approved by the Commission in docket GE17-002. MidAmerican requested an effective date of May 31, 2019, for the Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factors and accompanying tariff sheets. On April 29, 2019, MidAmerican responded to staff’s data requests. On September 30, 2019, MidAmerican submitted a supplemental filing outlining expected total resource costs scores and requested further guidance from the Commission.
TODAY, how shall the Commission proceed?
Natural Gas
1. NG17-009 In the Matter of the Application of South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline Company for Authority to Increase its Natural Gas Rates (Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Patrick Steffensen, Eric Paulson; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards, Amanda Reiss)
On June 1, 2017, South Dakota Intrastate Pipeline Company (SDIP) filed with the Commission a Letter of Transmittal requesting authority to increase its natural gas rates. On June 22, 2017, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU) filed a Petition to Intervene. On August 8, 2017, the Commission issued an Order Granting Motion for Commission Review and Making the Application Public. On March 2, 2018, the Commission issued an Order Granting Late Filed Intervention (Ring-neck). On July 6, 2018, the Commission issued an Order Granting Motion for Approval of Settlement Stipulation. On September 24, 2019, SDIP filed a letter regarding Rate Adjustment. On September 26, 2019, MDU filed a letter regarding SDIP’s September 24, 2019 letter. On October 23, 2019, the parties filed a Joint Motion for Approval of Amendment to Settlement Stipulation and Revised Tariff Pages, Amendment to Settlement Stipulation, and revised tariff pages.
TODAY, shall the Commission grant the Joint Motion for Approval of Amendment to Settlement Stipulation and approve the rates, revised tariff sheets, terms and conditions stipulated therein? OR, how shall the Commission proceed?
Items for Commission Discussion
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 commission.
Announcements
- An evidentiary hearing in Docket EL19-026 – In the Matter of the Application by Tatanka Ridge Wind, LLC for a Permit of a Wind Energy Facility in Deuel County, South Dakota is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. CST Monday, November 4 and continue through Tuesday, November 5, 2019, in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
- The PUC office will be closed Monday, November 11, 2019, in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.
- The next regular commission meeting will be Tuesday, November 12, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
- Commissioners will attend the Critical Consumer Issues Forum’s Annual Kickoff Forum on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. CST at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
- Commissioners and staff will attend the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Annual Meeting November 17-20, 2019, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
- Commission meetings are scheduled for November 26 and December 10, 2019.
/s/Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
PUC Email
October 23, 2019
