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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
November 7, 2023, 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 Monday, November 6, 2023, 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 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 Meeting Held on October 24, 2023 (Deputy Executive Director: Leah Mohr)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Electric
1. EL21-032 In the Matter of Otter Tail Power Company’s Petition for Approval of Real Time Pricing Rider Tariff (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
On November 19, 2021, Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) filed a Petition for approval of tariff revisions to its Real Time Pricing Rider. In its Petition, Otter Tail states that the changes will provide clarification of its service conditions and requirements. On December 22, 2021, intervention was granted to Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. (Valley Queen), a customer of Otter Tail. In Docket EL23-022, the rate at issue in this matter was closed to new customers by Commission Order dated September 25, 2023. On October 12, 2023, Valley Queen’s Motion for Leave to Withdraw as an Intervenor was granted.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Otter Tail’s tariff revisions with an effective date of December 1, 2023?
2. EL23-017 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: Amanda Reiss)
On July 18, 2023, 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 2023 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 July 19, 2023, Xcel filed a Revised Letter regarding Tariff Revisions. On August 22 and October 3, 2023, Xcel responded to staff’s data request.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Xcel Energy’s tariff revisions with an effective January 1, 2024?
3. EL23-019 In the Matter of the filing by Otter Tail Power Company regarding its 2024-2026 Energy Efficiency Partnership Triennial Plan (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On August 1, 2023, the Commission received a filing from Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) requesting approval of its proposed 2024-2026 Energy Efficiency Partnership Triennial Plan (EEP). Otter Tail’s proposed EEP continues its cost-effective energy efficiency projects included in its current plan. Otter Tail proposes a budget of $650,000 for Plan Years 2024-2026. Otter Tail proposes to continue the fixed percentage incentive of 30% of actual EEP expenses, capped at 30% of the proposed budget. On September 20, 2023, the Otter Tail responded to staff’s first data request.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Otter Tail Power Company’s 2024-2026 Energy Efficiency Partnership Triennial Plan?
4. EL23-021 In the Matter of Approval of Otter Tail Power Company’s Petition for Approval of a Bill Redesign and Modifications to General Rules and Regulations, Rate Schedule Section 1.05 (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
On August 18, 2023, the Commission received a filing from Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) for approval of a bill redesign and modifications to its rate schedule section 1.05. Otter Tail requests approval of the following by December 1, 2023: proposed standard and commercial electric service statements, customer disconnection notice, tariff changes necessary to implement the proposed changes, and a manual bill exception for manually billed customers. Otter Tail also requests an extension of time to submit the compliance filing in this matter to March 1, 2024. Otter Tail anticipates implementation of the new billing statement design and the associated tariff revisions on May 1, 2024. On October 3 and 6, 2023, Otter Tail filed amended sample forms and tariff pages. On October 31, 2023, Otter Tail filed a letter requesting the Commission approve the bill redesign by December 1, 2023, but delay approval of the tariff revisions. Otter Tail’s letter specifically request Commission approval of the following by December 1, 2023: proposed standard and commercial electric service statements, proposed customer disconnection notice, and a manual bill exception for manually billed customers.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve Otter Tail’s proposed standard and commercial electric service statements, proposed customer disconnection notice, and a manual bill exception for manually billed customers?
5. EL23-031 In the Matter of the Filing by Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., for Approval of a Waiver of Fuel and Purchase Power Adjustment Rate 58 (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Shaefbauer)
On October 23, 2023, the Commission received a filing from Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc. (MDU), for a waiver of the filing requirements for the Fuel and Purchased Power Adjustment (FPPA) Rate 58 tariff. Increase in the per unit pricing due to congestion in the Southwest Power Pool’s and Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s footprint is the primary driver of the increasing FPPA rate. MDU requests the requirement for the filing of Rate 58 be waived until the July 2024 filing.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the request for waiver of the filing requirements for the FPPA Rate 58 tariff until July 1, 2024?
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. The PUC office will be closed Friday, November 10, 2023, in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.
2. Commissioners and staff will attend the 2023 National Association of Regulatory Commissioners’ Annual Meeting and Education Conference, November 12-15, 2023, at the La Quinta Resort and Club, La Quinta, California.
3. The next regular commission meeting will be Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
4. The PUC office will be closed November 23-24, 2023, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
5. Commission meetings are scheduled for December 6 and 19, 2023.
/s/ Cindy Kemnitz .
Cindy Kemnitz
Finance Manager
puc@state.sd.us
October 31, 2023
