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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
May 24, 2016, at 8:30 A.M. CDT
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION MEETING
Chairman Chris Nelson called the meeting to order. Present were: Commissioners: Kristie Fiegen and Gary Hanson; Commission Counsel: Rolayne Wiest and Karen Cremer; Staff Attorneys: Kristen Edwards and Adam de Hueck; Staff Analysts: Joseph Rezac and Lorena Reichert; Consumer Affairs Supervisor: Deb Gregg; and Staff: Joy Lashley.
Joining the meeting by telephone were:
Rich Coit, South Dakota Telecommunications Association; and Pam Bonrud, Jeff Decker, Lori St. Aubin, and Tony Flynn, NorthWestern Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy.
Administration
1. Approval of the minutes of the Commission meetings held on April 27 and May 10, 2016. (Staff: Joy Lashley)
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve the minutes of the Commission meetings held on April 27 and May 10, 2016. Motion carried 3-0.
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries and Complaints Received by the Commission (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The Commission received a total of 54 contacts since the last report was prepared for the May 10, 2016 Commission meeting.
Seven contacts involved telecommunication services, 15 contacts involved electrical services, six contacts were related to wireless service, two contacts were related to natural gas service, eight contacts were related to the Do Not Call Registry, two contacts were related to the Dakota Access Pipeline, one contact was related to the Keystone XL Pipeline, one contact was related to Wind Energy, two contacts were related to the Grain Warehouse Division and ten contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC.
Complaints received in 2014: 1,914 of the 1,916 have been resolved.
Complaints received in 2016: 521 of the 538 have been resolved.
Administration
Ms. Lorena Reichert, staff analyst, stated that staff did not object to the Commission continuing the waivers and the additional requirements established in the Commission's previous orders in TC13-027, for the 2016 ETC certification process. Mr. Rich Coit, South Dakota Telecommunications Association, requested that the Commission continue the previous waivers.
Commissioner Nelson moved to continue the waivers and the deadlines that were established in TC13-027, including continuing to require the filing of FCC 477 data. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
A lengthy discussion took place regarding Docket EL16-016. An audio of the discussion can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2016, May 24, 2016, recording located at: http://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2016/puc05242016.mp3.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve NorthWestern's tariff revisions with an effective date of June 1, 2016. Motion failed 1-2. Commissioners Fiegen and Hanson dissenting.
The Commission deferred the docket until a later Commission meeting.
Natural Gas
Mr. Joseph Rezac, staff analyst, asked that the Commission defer NG16-005 until a later Commission meeting.
The Commission deferred the docket until a later Commission meeting.
There being no further business, at the hour of 8:50 a.m. the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/Joy Lashley .
Joy Lashley
Administrative Assistant
PUC Email
May 24, 2016
