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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
December 6, 2023, at 1:30 P.M. CST
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF COMMISSION MEETING
Commission Chairperson Kristie Fiegen called the meeting to order. Present were Commissioner Gary Hanson and Commissioner Chris Nelson; Commission Attorney Kristen Edwards; Staff Attorneys Amanda Reiss and Logan Schaefbauer; Staff Analysts Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac and Patrick Steffensen; Grain Warehouse Manager Cody Chambliss; and Administrative Staff Mikayla Frick.
Also present was David Smith, South Dakota Farmers Union.
Joining the meeting by telephone were Chris Barthol, Bridget Dockter, Shubha Harris, Diedra Howard, Jody Londo, Jessica Peterson, Dawn Pittman, Kristen Ruud and Karl Shlanta, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy; Ben Christenson, Paula Foster, Matthew Olsen and Wendi Olson, Otter Tail Power Company; John Mullen, Boyce Law Firm LLP representing Roslyn Elevator; Kathy Baerlocher, Nathan Bensen, Travis Jacobson and Larry Oswald, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.
An audio recording of the meeting can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2023, December 6, 2023, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2023/puc12062023.mp3.
(Note): For the purpose of continuity, these minutes match the agenda and are not necessarily in chronological order.
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on November 21, 2023 (Deputy Executive Director: Leah Mohr)
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve the Minutes of the Commission Meeting held on November 21, 2023. Motion carried 3-0.
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The report was presented by Ms. Amanda Reiss, staff attorney. The Commission received a total of 39 contacts since the last report was prepared for the November 21, 2023, Commission meeting.
Five contacts were related to telecommunications services, 18 contacts were related to electric services, two contacts were related to wireless services, three contacts were related to the Do Not Call Registry, two contacts were related to carbon pipelines, one contact was related to wind energy, one contact was related to the Dakota Access Pipeline and six contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC. One contact was referred to South Dakota One Call.
1,356 of the 1,369 contacts received in 2023 have been resolved.
Telecommunications
1. TC23-049 In the Matter of the Filing by Intrado Communications, LLC for Approval of Replacement Access Tariff to Reflect Company Name Change (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Schaefbauer)
Intrado Communications, LLC (Intrado) was not present. Mr. Joseph Rezac, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve Intrado’s proposed tariff to reflect the company’s name change to Hypercube Networks, LLC, with an effective date of November 9, 2023.
Commissioner Hanson moved to approve the proposed tariff with an effective date of November 9, 2023. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
1. EL23-013 In the Matter of the Petition of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2022 Demand Side Management Report and 2024 Proposed Demand Side Management Plan (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
Ms. Jessica Peterson, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy, requested the Commission approve the company’s 2022 Demand Side Management Status Report and tracker account, the performance incentive earned for 2022, the proposed 2024 Demand Side Management Plan, and the proposed 2024 Demand Side Management Cost Adjustment Factor of $0.000487 per kWh with a January 1, 2024 effective date. Mr. Eric Paulson, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the company’s request. Mr. Karl Shlanta, Northern States Power Company dba Xce Energy, responded to Commissioners’ questions.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve Xcel’s 2022 Demand Side Management Status Report and tracker account, the performance incentive earned for 2022, the proposed 2024 Demand Side Management Plan, and the proposed 2024 Demand Side Management Cost Adjustment Factor of $0.000487 per kWh with a January 1, 2024, effective date. Motion carried 3-0.
2. EL23-027 In the Matter of Otter Tail Power Company’s Petition for Approval of Tariff Revisions to Facilitate Implementation of New Advanced Grid Infrastructure (AGI) Projects (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Schaefbauer)
Mr. Matthew Olsen, Otter Tail Power Company, stated Otter Tail was supportive of the recommendations presented in the Staff Memorandum. Mr. Patrick Steffensen, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the tariff and Customer Information Brochure revisions effective January 1, 2024, and deny the request for variance to ARSD 20:10:17:03(1) with the understanding Otter Tail does not need a variance to remove the previous and current meter readings from customer bills. Mr. Ben Christenson, Otter Tail Power Company, responded to Commissioners’ questions.
Commissioner Nelson moved to deny the request for variance to ARSD 20:10:17:03(1) with the understanding Otter Tail does not need a variance to remove the previous and current meter readings from customer bills; approve the tariff and Customer Information Brochure revisions effective January 1, 2024; and take no action on Otter Tails’ request to disallow customers to opt-out of AMI meters as the decision to allow or disallow opt-outs of AMI meters is a business decision in the purview of Otter Tail. Motion carried 3-0.
3. EL23-028 In the Matter of the Application of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Modification to the Service Reconnection Charge (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Shubha Harris, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy, requested the Commission approve the updated service reconnection charges and updated tariff sheets with an effective date of January 1, 2024. Mr. Patrick Steffensen, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the company’s request. Ms. Dawn Pittman and Mr. Chris Barthol, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy, responded to Commissioners’ questions.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve the updated service reconnection charges and updated tariff sheets with an effective date of January 1, 2024. Motion carried 3-0.
Grain Warehouse
1. GW22-002 In the Matter of Roslyn Elevator, Roslyn, South Dakota (Grain Warehouse Program Manager: Cody Chambliss; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
Mr. John Mullen, Boyce Law Firm LLP representing Roslyn Elevator, presented a summary of the docket. Ms. Amanda Reiss, staff attorney, stated that Commission staff’s role has ended, there are no claimants on the bond and requested the Commission close the docket. The Commission held a confidential discussion on the docket beginning at 2:27 p.m. and ending at 2:38 p.m.
Commissioner Nelson moved to close the docket. Motion carried 3-0.
Natural Gas
1. NG23-025 In the Matter of the Application of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Division of MDU Resources Group, Inc. for Approval of Natural Gas Conservation Portfolio Plan for 2024 - 2026 (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Schaefbauer)
Mr. Travis Jacobson, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU), requested the Commission approve MDU’s Natural Gas Conservation Portfolio Plan for 2024-2026. Mr. Eric Paulson, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the company’s request. Mr. Larry Oswald,MDU, responded to Commissioners’ questions.
Commissioner Hanson moved to approve Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Natural Gas Conservation Portfolio Plan for 2024-2026. Motion carried 3-0.
There being no further business, at the hour of 2:42 p.m., the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/ Leah Mohr .
Leah Mohr
Deputy Executive Director
puc@state.sd.us
December 6, 2023
