Commission Minutes | previous page
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
June 4, 2024, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF COMMISSION MEETING
Commission Chairperson Kristie Fiegen called the meeting to order. Present were Vice Chairman Gary Hanson and Commissioner Chris Nelson; Commission Attorney Kristen Edwards; Commission Advisor Greg Rislov; Staff Attorney Amanda Reiss; Staff Analysts Darren Kearney, Patrick Steffensen, and Jon Thurber; Consumer Affairs Manager Deb Gregg; and Administrative Staff Mikayla Frick.
Also present were Kara Semmler, South Dakota Telecommunications Association; Steve Kolbeck, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy; and David Smith, South Dakota Farmers Union.
Joining the meeting by telephone were Zeviel Simpser, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, representing Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy; and Mitch Dienger, Tim Rogers, Tony Wedland, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy.
An audio recording of the meeting can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2024, June 4, 2024, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2024/puc06042024.mp3.
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on May 8, 2024 (Staff: Janeth Merriman)
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve the Minutes of the Commission Meeting held on May 8, 2024. Motion carried 3-0.
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The Commission received a total of 84 contacts since the last report was prepared for the May 8, 2024, Commission meeting.
Nine contacts were related to telecommunications services, 19 contacts were related to electric services, 15 contacts were related to natural gas services, three contacts were related to wireless telecommunications services, six contacts were related to the Do Not Call Registry, one contact was related to wind energy, seven contacts were referred to South Dakota One Call, and 24 contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC.
515 of the 528 contacts received in 2024 have been resolved.
Telecommunications
1. TC24-011 In the Matter of the Application of Ubiquity South Dakota, LLC for Certificates of Authority to Provide Local Exchange and Interexchange Telecommunications Services in the State of South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen; Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Kara Semmler, South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA), asked the Commission to grant SDTA’s petition to intervene. Ubiquity South Dakota, LLC did not appear. Mr. Patrick Steffensen, staff analyst, did not object to the request and relayed that Ubiquity South Dakota LLC did not object to the request.
Commissioner Nelson moved the Commission grant SDTA’s petition to intervene. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
1. EL10-016 In the Matter of Great River Energy and Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for a Permit to Construct a 10.6 Mile, 345 kV Transmission Line (CapX2020) in Brookings County Near White, South Dakota (Staff Analyst: Darren Kearney, Jon Thurber; Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)
Mr. Steve Kolbeck, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel), requested the Commission grant an exemption of the 30-day requirement within Condition 29 of the settlement stipulation. Mr. Darren Kearney, staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request with an effective date of June 4, 2024. Granting of this exemption will allow Xcel to immediately commence construction of the second circuit of their existing transmission line.
Commissioner Hanson moved to grant an exemption of the 30-day requirement within Condition 29 of the settlement stipulation with an effective date of June 4, 2024. Motion carried 3-0.
There being no further business, at the hour of 9:41 a.m., the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/ Janeth A. Merriman .
Janeth A. Merriman
Administrative Specialist
puc@state.sd.us
June 4, 2024
