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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
December 8, 2021, 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 Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 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
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Telecommunications
1. TC21-116 In the Matter of the Approval of an Unbundled Network Elements (UNEs) - Resale Forbearance Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC for the State of South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On November 1, 2021, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 252 for approval of an Amendment to an Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC. The amendment incorporates forbearance orders FCC 19-66 and FCC 19-72, which were released by the Federal Communications Commission in 2019.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement?
2. TC21-117 In the Matter of the Batch Hot Cut Removal Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC for the State of South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On November 1, 2021, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 252 for approval of the Batch Hot Cut Removal Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement?
3. TC21-118 In the Matter of the Approval of an Unbundling and Resale Requirements Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC for the State of South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On November 1, 2021, the Commission received a filing pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 252 for approval of the FCC Modernizing Unbundling and Resale Requirements Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and ACN Communication Services, LLC.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement?
Electric
1. EL21-014 In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2020 Demand Side Management Report and 2022 Proposed Demand Side Management Plan (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On May 3, 2021, the Commission received a Petition from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) requesting approval of its 2020 Demand Side Management (DSM) Status Report and 2022 Proposed DSM Plan. Specifically, Xcel requests approval of its 2020 DSM Tracker Account, the incentive earned for 2020 program performance, the proposed 2022 DSM Cost Adjustment Factor of $0.0005368 per kWh, and the proposed DSM Plan for 2022. On September 21, 2021, Xcel responded to staff’s data request including updates resulting in an updated proposed 2022 DSM Cost Adjustment Factor of $0.000554 per kWh. On November 12, 2021, Xcel responded to additional staff data requests. Xcel requests an effective date of January 1, 2022, for the DSM Cost Adjustment Factor.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Xcel Energy’s 2020 Demand Side Management Status Report and tracker account, the performance incentive earned for 2020, the proposed 2022 Demand Side Management Plan, and the proposed 2021 Demand Side Management Cost Adjustment Factor of $0.000554 per kWh with a January 1, 2022, effective date?
2. EL21-018 In the Matter of the Application by North Bend Wind Project, LLC for a Permit to Construct and Operate the North Bend Wind Project in Hyde County and Hughes County, South Dakota (Staff Analysts: Darren Kearney, Jon Thurber; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On June 23, 2021, North Bend Wind Project, LLC (North Bend or Project) filed an application for a permit to construct the North Bend Wind Project, a wind energy facility located on approximately 46,931 acres of land in Hyde County and Hughes County, South Dakota, in the townships of Butte, Chapelle, Harrold, Holabird, Pleasant Valley, Pratt, and Webster. The total installed capacity of the Project would not exceed 200 megawatts nameplate capacity. The proposed Project includes up to 71 wind turbine generators, access roads to turbines and associated facilities, underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV) electrical collector lines, underground fiber-optic cable, a 34.5-kV to 230-kV collection substation, a 230-kV interconnection switching station, an aircraft detection lighting system and one permanent meteorological tower. The Project will interconnect to Western Area Power Administration’s Fort Thompson-Oahe 230-kV transmission line, which crosses the southern portion of the project area. The Project, at the time of filing this application, has not executed a purchase power agreement. The Project is expected to be operational in late 2022. Applicant estimates the total cost of the Project to be between $265 and $285 million. On September 17, 2021, the Commission granted party status to Judi Bollweg, individually and on behalf of Tumbleweed Lodge and Bollweg Family, LLLP, and Michael Bollweg, individually and on behalf of Bollweg Family, LLLP. On November 1, 2021, the Commission issued an Order granting Motion for Procedural Schedule. On November 16, 2021, North Bend filed a Motion to Extend the Deadline and requested the Commission suspend the current schedule. The Commission granted North Bend’s Motion to Extend the Deadline and Ordered the parties to submit a revised procedural schedule by December 7, 2021.
TODAY, shall the Commission adopt the revised procedural schedule? OR how shall the Commission proceed?
3. EL21-019 In the Matter of the Filing by Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Tariff Revisions to Its Rates for Small Power Production and Cogeneration (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On June 24, 2021, the Commission received a filing from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for approval of tariff revisions for small power production and cogeneration rates. Xcel requests approval of revised rate sheets for the Occasional Delivery Energy Service tariff and the Time of Delivery Energy Service tariff. Xcel’s proposed revisions reflect energy and capacity payments based on Xcel’s 2021 avoided costs projection, with no change in the monthly metering charge for the Occasional Delivery Energy Service rate sheet and the proposed Time of Delivery Energy Service rate sheet. On September 3, 2021, Xcel filed a letter and revised attachment B page 1. On September 10 and 17, Xcel responded to staff’s data request.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Xcel Energy’s tariff revisions with an effective January 1, 2022?
4. EL21-025 In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2022 Transmission Cost Recovery Eligibility and Rate Adjustment (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On September 1, 2021, the Commission received a petition from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for approval of its 2022 Transmission Cost Recovery (TCR) Rider, TCR rate factor, and tracker account report. For 2022, Xcel proposes recovery of the South Dakota jurisdictional portion of the revenue requirements related to 31 transmission projects located throughout its service territory. Xcel proposes to include 10 new projects for 2022 and proposes to remove one previously approved project. Xcel proposes to recover $7 million associated with the 31 transmission projects for the 2022 calendar year. Included in the $7 million figure is the 2021 over-collection balance of $397,023. The total of the transmission investment costs, and the tracker balance results in an average bill impact of $2.43 per month for a typical residential electric customer using 750 kWh per month. This is a decrease of $0.15 per month from the current TCR Rider recovery. Xcel proposes to implement a rate of $0.003245 per kWh applied to all energy billed to each customer class beginning January 1 through December 31, 2022. This represents a decrease of $0.000201 from the existing rate of $0.003446 per kWh.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the updated Transmission Cost Recovery rate factor and updated tariff sheet with an effective date of January 1, 2022?
Natural Gas
1. NG21-008 In the Matter of the Filing by NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy for Approval of a Contract with Deviations with Brightmark Full Circle RNG, LLC (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On October 12, 2021, NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) filed for approval of a contract with deviations with Brightmark Full Circle RNG, LLC (Brightmark). Brightmark desires to have NorthWestern install a natural gas pipeline that is approximately 8 miles in length. This pipeline will be used to transport renewable natural gas from the dairy farm it is being produced at, to an interconnection point roughly 2 miles north of Parker, South Dakota. NorthWestern states that based on the cost of the project, it requires fixed monthly charge, take or pay volumes, and a security for the capital investment cost in order to protect its legacy customers. NorthWestern has also included natural gas quality standards Brightmark must achieve to have gas transported in the pipeline. The contract includes recovery of the pipeline project costs over a 15-year period and project costs will be recovered through a fixed monthly charge. An annual review will be conducted to determine if volumes have met the required take or pay amount. All volume charges will be billed at the tariff rate 87.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve NorthWestern Energy’s contract with deviations with Brightmark Full Circle RNG, LLC and the associated tariff revisions with an effective date of December 8, 2021?
Items for Commission Discussion
Public Comment
Individuals who wish to make public comments to the commission may do so during this time. All who offer public comments are requested to sign in at the commission meeting or let the commission know of their wish to speak when they call in to reserve a phone line. Time limits for comments may be determined at the discretion of the commission.
Announcements
1. Commissioners and staff will attend the South Dakota Telecommunications Association/Public Utilities Commission Forum on December 9-10, 2021, at the Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
2. The next regular commission meeting will be Tuesday, December 21, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
3. The PUC office will be closed Friday, December 24, 2021, in observance of the Christmas holiday.
4. The PUC office will be closed Friday, December 31, 2021, in observance of the New Year holiday.
5. Commission meetings are scheduled for January 4 and 18, 2022.
/s/ Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
puc@state.sd.us
December 1, 2021
