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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
October 20, 2026, 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, October 19, 2026, 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

Consumer Reports

1.      Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)

Electric

1.      EL25-035        In the Matter of Otter Tail Power Company’s Petition for Approval of a Revised Real Time Pricing Rate Section 14.02 (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)

         On October 21, 2025, the Commission received Otter Tail Power Company’s (Otter Tail) Petition for Approval of a Revised Real Time Pricing Rate Section 14.02. With this filing, Otter Tail proposes that the revised tariff take effect on January 1, 2026, and remain available only to customers currently enrolled in the RTP rate. On November 19, 2025, the Commission issued an Order Granting Intervention to Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. (Valley Queen). On September 24, 2026, Valley Queen filed a Motion for Leave to Withdraw.

         TODAY, shall the Commission grant Valley Queen’s Motion for Leave to Withdraw? OR how shall the Commission proceed?

2.      EL26-015        In the Matter of Otter Tail Power Company’s Petition for Approval of its Energy Adjustment Rider Modification (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)

         On May 20, 2026, Otter Tail Power Company filed an application for approval of revisions to its Energy Adjustment Rider, Section 13.01 of its South Dakota Electric Rate Schedule. The proposed revisions are necessary to reflect recent and continuing changes in the Company’s generation operations and cost allocation practices and to ensure that energy related costs and revenues are recovered in a manner consistent with jurisdictional cost causation principles. On August 3, 2026, the company responded to staff’s data request. On September 3, 2026, the company filed a supplemental response to staff’s data request.

         TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions?

3.      EL26-029        In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Updates to the Fuel Cost True-Up Factor Process (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac)

         On September 30, 2026, the Commission received a petition from Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy requesting an immediate suspension of the monthly true-up process used to determine the fuel cost factor and the implementation of an annual true-up process to address over- or under-recovery of fuel costs. In conjunction with approval of an annual true-up process, Xcel Energy also requests approval of a modification to South Dakota Electric Rate Book Section 5, Sheet 64.1.

         TODAY, shall the Commission suspend the current fuel cost true-up factor process effective with the fuel cost charge implemented on November 1, 2026? And, shall the Commission approve the associated tariff revisions to implement an annual true-up process to true-up the fuel cost factor? OR, how shall the commission proceed?

4.      EL26-030        In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2027 Infrastructure Rider Project Eligibility and Factor Update (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorney: Jennie Fuerst)

           On October 1, 2026, the Commission received a Petition by Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel) for approval of its 2027 Infrastructure Rider Project Eligibility and Factor Update. Xcel requests approval of project eligibility for 22 new projects meeting the $100,000 revenue requirement threshold established by the 2026 settlement stipulation and the inclusion of additional components of the wildlife risk mitigation portfolio,  the Infrastructure Rider Tracker Report and true-up for the 2025 and 2026 revenue requirements, including Production Tax Credits (PTC) and the PTC tracker mechanism; 2027 Infrastructure Rider revenue requirements of negative $8,171,525; an updated Infrastructure Rider Factor of negative $0.003465 per kWh; an updated Infrastructure Rider tariff sheet; and proposed customer notice. The revenue requirement and rate are subject to a rate adjustment made in the company’s forthcoming supplemental filing to account for known 2026 nuclear PTCs in early 2027. Xcel proposes a March 1, 2027, effective date. Xcel proposes the rate of negative $0.003465 per kWh applied to all energy billed to each customer class from March 1, 2027, to February 29, 2028. Xcel estimates a bill impact of a credit of $2.60 per month for a residential electric customer using 750 kWh per month, an increase of $2.37 per month compared to the current credit.

           TODAY, shall the Commission assess a filing fee in the amount of up to $250,000 to account for actual expenses incurred in review of this filing commencing from the filing date? OR how shall the Commission proceed?

5.      EL26-031        In the Matter of NorthWestern Energy Public Service Corporation, dba NorthWestern Energy, for an Energy Conversion Facility Permit to Construct the Hub City Energy Park Natural Gas Generation Facility, Including a Natural Gas Transmission Pipeline, Near Aberdeen, South Dakota (Staff Analysts: Anuja Oke, Jon Thurber; Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)

          On October 2, 2026, the Commission received an Application from NorthWestern Energy Public Service Corporation, dba NorthWestern Energy (“NorthWestern” or “Applicant”) for an energy conversion facility permit to construct the Hub City Energy Park (Project) natural gas generation facility, including a natural gas transmission pipeline, near Aberdeen, South Dakota. The Project, formerly known as the Aberdeen III Generating Station, is a nominal 131 MW (gross) natural gas combustion turbine (CT) facility. The Project consists of three CTs in simple cycle configuration, including a back-end multipollutant catalyst system, and associated balance-of-plant systems and equipment. The Project also includes a new substation and overhead electric tie-in line to facilitate electrical grid interconnection to the existing Siebrecht substation on the Aberdeen Generating Station site, and a natural gas lateral transmission line to connect to the nearby Northern Border Pipeline Company mainline. Applicant expects construction activities to begin in late 2027 or early 2028, with the Project coming online in the first half of 2030. Applicant will supplement the filing with a public version of the total construction cost information at a later date, at which point the maximum filing fee will be calculated pursuant to SDCL 49-41B-12.

            Pursuant to SDCL 49-41B-6, as amended effective July 1, 2026, within 30 days of receipt of an application for an energy conversion facility, the Commission must designate a local review committee.  Within 10 days of designation, the Commission must provide notice to each member of the local review committee, after which the member may elect to participate by providing written notice to the commission.  Prior to the passage of SB 25 in 2026, the Commission designated a local review committee for this Project in Docket No. EL25-038, pursuant to SDCL 49-41B-6 as it read at the time.  However, the current statute does not contain an exception for previously designated committees, therefore, the Commission must re-designate the local review committee in compliance with the timeframe established in the current statute.

         TODAY, shall the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into necessary consulting contracts?  AND, shall the Commission reappoint the local review committee as designated in Docket No. EL25-038?  OR, how shall the Commission proceed?

Natural Gas

1.      NG26-007       In the Matter of the Filing by NorthWestern Energy Public Service Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy for Approval of Its Gas Transportation Tariff Revisions regarding Fuel Retention Percentage (Staff Analyst: Anuja Oke; Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)

           On September 17, 2026, the Commission received a filing from NorthWestern Energy Public Service Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern). This filing proposes to update Sheet No. 6.2 in Section No. 5 of NorthWestern’s natural gas tariff. NorthWestern’s tariff provides that the Fuel Retention Percentage is to be updated annually and be effective November 1 each year. NorthWestern also updates the fuel rate for customers with daily average daily use greater than 30,000 therms. NorthWestern states that customers who fit this high usage criterion are primarily direct connect customers whose gas system is not subject to the normal losses of a distribution system. NorthWestern’s filing seeks an effective date of November 1, 2026. NorthWestern plans to file a revised tariff sheet prior to the Commission meeting.

         TODAY, shall the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions effective November 1, 2026?

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. Public Input Meetings for docket EL26-026 - In the Matter of the Application of Xcel Energy and Otter Tail Power Company for an Energy Facility Permit to Construct the PowerOn Midwest Project Consisting of a 765-kV Transmission Line, a 345-kV Transmission Line, and Associated Facilities will be held:

  • Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CDT, at the Brookings Inn, 2500 E. Sixth St., Brookings, South Dakota.
  • Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., CDT at the Milbank School Theater, 1001 E. Park Ave., Milbank, South Dakota.
  • Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., CDT at the Clear Lake Community Center, 218 Third Ave. S., Clear Lake, South Dakota.

2. Public Input Meetings for docket EL26-028 - In the Matter of the Application of Otter Tail Power Company for a Facility Permit for the Big Stone South to Hankinson to Bison 345 kV Transmission Line Project will be held:

  • Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., CDT at the Milbank School Theater, 1001 E. Park Ave., Milbank, South Dakota.
  • Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., CDT at the Rosholt Community Center, 19 E. Main St., Rosholt, South Dakota.

3. Commissioners and staff will meet with representatives of Xcel Energy on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 10 a.m. CST in Room 413 at the State Capitol Building, Pierre, South Dakota. The agenda is to discuss an update on Xcel Energy’s operations, finance and customer service activities.

4. The next regular commission meeting will be Friday, November 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. CDT in the Matthew Training Center, Foss Building, Pierre, South Dakota.

5. The PUC office will be closed Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in observance of Veterans Day.

6. Commission meetings are scheduled for November 19 and December 4, 2026.  

 

  

  /s/ Sara Weiss                 .
Sara Weiss
Operations Specialist
puc@state.sd.us
September 29, 2026