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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
March 25, 2025, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
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. CDT on Monday, March 24, 2025, 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 Meetings Held on February 28 and March 11, 2025 (Staff: Janeth Merriman)
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
Telecommunications
1. TC13-026 In the Matter of Study Area Boundaries for Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
In orders released by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Wireline Competition Bureau, the FCC requires the submission of study area boundary data to be used as part of the implementation of certain universal service reforms adopted by the FCC. Further, the FCC concluded that state commissions may certify to the accuracy of study area boundary data and submit it on behalf of incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) operating in their states. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) opened docket TC13-026 to address the study area boundary submittal required by the FCC. At its April 9, 2013, meeting, the Commission unanimously voted that it shall provide the certification of study area boundary data to the FCC for all ILECs located in South Dakota. On January 9, 2014, the FCC issued an Order requiring study area boundary filers to “review and recertify their study area boundary data every two years and provide updated data when study area boundaries change.” On March 19, 2014, the Commission issued an order delegating to staff the authority to certify study area boundaries with certain exceptions, one of which is the Commission will biannually certify the study area boundaries. The Commission certified the study area boundaries as described by staff in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
TODAY, shall the Commission certify the current study area boundaries? AND, shall the Commission continue to require biennial filings? OR, how shall the Commission proceed?
Electric
1. EL25-002 In the Matter of the Filing by Otter Tail Power Company for Approval of Tariff Revisions to Its Rates for Small Power Production and Cogeneration (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorneys: Logan Schaefbauer and Jennie Fuerst)
On January 31, 2025, the Commission received a filing from Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail) for approval of tariff revisions to its Small Power Producer Riders, Sections 12.01, 12.02 and 12.03. Otter Tail proposes to update the energy payments, customer charge, wind renewable energy credit, solar renewable energy credit, My Renewable Energy Credit Rider, Section 14.14 and the Voluntary Riders – Availability Matrix. These rates are for small qualifying facilities within the Otter Tail service area. Otter Tail requests an effective date of April 1, 2025.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed revisions to Otter Tail’s rates for Small Power Production and Cogeneration for Qualifying Facilities, revised My Renewable Energy Credit Rider, and revised tariff sheets with an effective date of April 1, 2025?
2. EL25-004 In the Matter of MidAmerican Energy Company’s Application for Approval of Its 2024 Reconciliation and 2025 Transmission Cost Recovery Factors (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Jennie Fuerst)
On February 14, 2025, the Commission received MidAmerican Energy Company’s (MidAmerican) filing for approval of tariff revisions regarding its Transmission Cost Recovery (TCR) 2024 Reconciliation and 2025 New Factor Calculation. MidAmerican’s TCR mechanism was established in the company’s most recent rate case, EL14-072. With this filing, MidAmerican is establishing new TCR rates based on true ups to the actual over/under recovery from 2024, 2025 forecasted Midcontinent Independent System Operator transmission expense, and the forecasted over/under recovery for January through March of 2025. MidAmerican requests the new TCR factors have an effective date of April 1, 2025. On February 27, 2025, MidAmerican filed its revised application with a revised 2024 TCR Reconciliation and 2025 New Factor Calculation and corresponding workpapers.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve the revised Transmission Cost Recovery rate factors and revised tariff sheet with an effective date of April 1, 2025?
3. EL25-005 In the Matter of the Filing by NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy for Approval of Tariff Revisions to Its Small Qualifying Facility Rider (Rates 73 and 74) (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss and Jennie Fuerst)
On February 26, 2025, the Commission received an application by NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) for approval to revise its Rate No. 73 – Small Qualifying Facility Rider (Occasional delivery energy service) and Rate No. 74 – Small Qualifying Facility Rider (Time of delivery energy service) tariff rates to reflect prices based on projected 2025-2026 data. NorthWestern requests an effective date of April 1, 2025, for the proposed modifications to the rate schedules.
TODAY, shall the Commission approve NorthWestern Energy’s tariff revisions with an effective date of April 1, 2025?
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. PUC commissioners and staff will meet with consumers at the Black Hills Home Builders Association Home Show, March 28-30, 2025, at The Monument, Rapid City, South Dakota.
2. Commissioners will attend the Center for Public Utilities’ Current Issues Forum, April 6-9, 2025, at the Eldorado Hotel, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
3. The next regular commission meeting will be Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. CDT in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota.
4. Commissioners will attend the 10th Annual Northwestern University Electricity Dialogue on Changing Load and Changing Resources, April 14-15, 2025, at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.
5. Commission meetings are scheduled for April 22 and May 8, 2025.
/s/ Leah Mohr .
Leah Mohr
Deputy Executive Director
puc@state.sd.us
March 18, 2025
