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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
February 23, 2021, at 1:30 P.M. CST
Room 423, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota

MINUTES OF THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING

Commissioner Chris Nelson called the meeting to order. Present were Commission Attorneys: Karen Cremer and Adam de Hueck; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards; Deputy Executive Director: Leah Mohr; Brett Koenecke, May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson LLP representing Investor Owned Utilities; and Pam Bonrud, NorthWestern Energy.

Joining the meeting by telephone were Commissioners: Kristie Fiegen and Gary Hanson; Commission Advisor: Greg Rislov; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss; Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Eric Paulson, Patrick Steffensen and Joseph Rezac; Jason Keil, Black Hills Power Inc. dba Black Hills Energy; Travis Jacobson, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company; Katelyn Lynch-Butcher, Amanda Hosch, Renee White, Cory Root and Peggi Allenback, MidAmerican Energy Company; Jeffrey Decker and Luke Hansen, NorthWestern Energy; Stuart Tommerdahl and Ryan Retzlaff, Otter Tail Power Company; Chris Shaw, Kari Haffler and Lisa Peterson, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy.

Gas and Electric

1.      GE21-001       In the Matter of Staff’s Request Regarding the February 2021 Cold Weather Event and Its Impact on Utility Fuel Clause Adjustments and Purchased Gas Adjustments (Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Patrick Steffensen, Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss and Kristen Edwards)

         A lengthy discussion took place for docket GE21-001. An audio recording of the discussion can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2021, February 23, 2021, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2021/puc02232021.mp3.

         Commissioner Nelson moved to authorize staff to work withMidAmerican Energy Company, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company and NorthWestern Energy to finalize mitigation requests as explained in their respective sections in the Staff Memorandum and presented at the Ad Hoc meeting; to provide a temporary waiver of the tariff language needed to implement those three plans, to be effective on less than 30 days’ notice effective March 1, 2021; to authorize staff to continue discussions with all utilities regarding additional adjustments that may be needed at a later time; and bring any additional adjustments to the Commission for approval.

         Commissioner Fiegen made a substitute motion to authorize staff to work with South Dakota electric and natural gas investor-owned utilities as requested in the Staff Memorandum, to provide a temporary waiver of the tariff language that might be contradictory to the remediations taken in this process, applying only to this weather event, and to approve, on less than 30 days’ notice, with a March 1, 2021, effective date. Substitute motion failed 1-2.

Motion carried 3-0.

There being no further business, at the hour of 2:52 p.m. the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.      

/s/Macy Jo Murren            .
Macy Jo Murren
Administrative Specialist
puc@state.sd.us

February 23, 2021