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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
September 13, 2022, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION MEETING
Commissioner Chris Nelson called the meeting to order. Present were Commissioner Gary Hanson; Commission Attorneys: Karen Cremer and Adam de Hueck; Commission Advisor Greg Rislov; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss and Kristen Edwards; Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Eric Paulson and Patrick Steffensen; Consumer Affairs Staff Deb Gregg; Staff Mikayla Frick.
Also present was Brian Rounds, AESL Consulting.
Joining the meeting by telephone were Commissioner Kristie Fiegen; Staff Analyst Joseph Rezac; Jason Topp, Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC; Carey Roesel, Inteserra Consulting Group representing Intrado Communications, LLC; Ian Dobson and Chris Shaw, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy; Travis Jacobson, Tara Vesey and Mikayla Knodel, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meetings Held on August 18 and 30, 2022 (Staff: Janeth Merriman)
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve the Minutes of the Commission Meetings held on August 18 and 30, 2022. Motion carried 3-0.
Consumer Reports
- Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The Commission received a total of 40 contacts since the last report was prepared for the August 30, 2022, Commission meeting.
Thirteen contacts were related to telecommunications services, six contacts were related to electric services, two contacts were related to natural gas services, four contacts were related to wireless services, four contacts were related to the Do Not Call Registry, four contacts were related to carbon pipelines, and seven contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC.
1,168 of the 1,197 contacts received in 2022 have been resolved.
Telecommunications
1. TC22-051 In the Matter of the Unbundling and Resale Requirements Amendment to the Interconnection Agreement between Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC and FiberComm, L.C. for the State of South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
Mr. Jason Topp, Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC, requested the Commission approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement between CenturyLink and FiberComm, L.C. Mr. Eric Paulson, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the request.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve the amendment to the interconnection agreement.Motion carried 3-0.
2. TC22-052 In the Matter of the Filing of Intrado Communications, LLC for Approval of Revisions to Its Access Services Tariff No. 2 (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
Mr. Carey Roesel, Inteserra Consulting Group representing Intrado Communications, LLC, asked that the Commission approve the proposed tariff revisions. Ms. Brittany Mehlhaff, staff analyst, recommended that the Commission approve the request with an effective date of August 4, 2022.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve the requested tariff changes with an effective date of August 4, 2022. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
1. EL22-017 In the Matter of the Application of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Authority to Increase its Electric Rates (Staff Analysts: Brittany Mehlhaff, Patrick Steffensen, Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
A lengthy discussion took place for docket EL22-017. An audio recording of the discussion can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2022, September 13, 2022, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2022/puc09132022.mp3.
Chairman Nelson deferred the docket to a later meeting.
2. EL22-021 In the Matter of the Filing by Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., a Request for Waiver of Fuel and Purchase Power Adjustment Rate 58 (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Kristen Edwards)
A lengthy discussion took place for docket EL22-021. An audio recording of the discussion can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2022, September 13, 2022, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2022/puc09132022.mp3.
Commissioner Hanson moved to grant MDU’s request for waiver and approve the determination that the new PTCs resulting from the repowering of Diamond Willow Wind Phase 1 are not subject to the provisions of MDU’s FPPA tariff until MDU requests inclusion of the costs of repowering in rates, and that this approval shall not preclude Commission review of the project, including project and cost management and accounting data and methods, review of the prudence and reasonableness of rate recovery in any determination of rates (including rate filings by MDU or rate reviews initiated by the Commission), and that it does not guarantee any such rate recovery. Motion carried 3-0.
3. EL22-022 In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2023 Transmission Cost Recovery Eligibility and Rate Adjustment (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
Ms. Amanda Reiss, staff attorney, requested the Commission assess a filing fee in the amount of up to $50,000 to account for actual expenses incurred. Mr. Ian Dobson, Xcel Energy, did not object to the filing fee.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to assess a filing fee in the amount of up to $50,000 to account for actual expenses incurred in review of this filing commencing from the filing date. Motion carried 3-0.
There being no further business, at the hour of 10:11 a.m., the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/ Leah Mohr .
Leah Mohr
Deputy Executive Director
puc@state.sd.us
September 13, 2022
