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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
April 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. CDT
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF COMMISSION MEETING
Commission Chairman Chris Nelson called the meeting to order. Present were Commission Advisor Greg Rislov; Commission Attorney Kristen Edwards; Staff Attorneys Jennie Fuerst, Amanda Reiss and Logan Schaefbauer; Staff Analysts Darren Kearney, Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac and Jon Thurber; Consumer Affairs Manager Deb Gregg; Deputy Executive Director & Finance Manager Cindy Kemnitz; and Administrative Staff Joy Irving.
Also present were Michael Iacopetti and Molly Malone, Invenergy LLC; Lisa M. Agrimonti, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., representing Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South LLC.
Joining the meeting by telephone were Commissioner Kristie Fiegen; Commissioner Gary Hanson; Kate Millar, Invenergy LLC; Tyler Culbertson, Bradley Davidson, Darcy Neigum and Lisa Maurstad, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc.; Eric Pauli, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy; and Jeffrey Decker, NorthWestern Public Service Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy.
An audio recording of the meeting can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2026, April 23, 2026, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2026/puc04232026.mp3.
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The Commission received a total of 97 contacts since the last report was prepared for the April 7, 2026, Commission meeting.
One contact was related to telecommunications services, 74 contacts were related to electric services, two contacts were related to wireless service, four contacts were related to natural gas, one contact was related to wind energy, four contacts were related to unwanted calls and the Do Not Call Registry, and 11 contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC.
500 of the 509 contacts received in 2026 have been resolved.
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on April 7, 2026 (Staff: Janeth Merriman)
Commissioner Hanson moved to approve the Minutes of the Meeting Held on April 7, 2026. Motion carried 3-0.
2. AA26-001 Establishment of the Gross Receipts Tax Levy for Fiscal Year 2027 (Deputy Executive Director & Finance Manager: Cindy Kemnitz, Staff Attorney: Jennie Fuerst)
Ms. Cindy Kemnitz, finance manager, requested the Commission establish the rate and assess the Gross Receipt Tax as authorized in SDCL 49-1A-3.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to establish the rate and assess the Gross Receipts Tax as authorized in SDCL 49-1A-3 as $0.0015 or $250, whichever amount is greater. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
1. EL24-023 In the Matter of the Application by Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South LLC for Energy Facility Permits of a Wind Energy Facility and a 345-kV Transmission Facility in Deuel County, South Dakota, for the South Deuel Wind Project (Staff Analysts: Jon Thurber, Darren Kearney; Staff Attorneys: Amanda Reiss, Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Lisa Agrimonti, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., representing Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South LLC (Applicant) and Ms. Molly Malone, Invenergy LLC requested the Commission grant Applicant’s request for a partial exemption of certain permit conditions pursuant to Condition 38. Ms. Amanda Reiss, staff attorney, did not object to Applicant’s request. However, Ms. Reiss noted that the Commission did not grant Applicant’s partial exemption request for Conditions 4 and 44 in a previous Condition 38 exemption request and that the Commission required the decommissioning surety bond to be for the benefit of the affected landowners in that previous request. No other party appeared.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South LLC’s request for a partial exemption for Conditions 7, 14, and 29 pursuant to Condition 38 , conditioned upon the requirements that Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South LLC provide financial assurance in the form of a surety bond for the benefit of the affected landowners to cover decommissioning costs associated with the limited construction of mud mats at turbine sites 11 and 28. Unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, the bond shall remain in place for two years or until completion of construction, whichever is later. Motion carried 3-0.
2. EL26-005 In the Matter of the Filing by Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., for Approval of the Annual Update to Its Transmission Cost Recovery Rider Rate (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson)
Ms. Lisa Maurstad, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., requested the Commission approve the revised Transmission Cost Recovery Rider rate and revised tariff sheet with an effective date of May 1, 2026. Mr. Eric Paulson, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve the revised Transmission Cost Recovery Rider rate and associated tariff sheet. Mr. Paulson responded to Commissioners’ questions.
Commissioner Hanson moved to approve the revised Transmission Cost Recovery Rider rate and revised tariff sheet with an effective date of May 1, 2026. Motion carried 3-0.
3. EL26-007 In the Matter of the Filing of Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy for Approval of Its 2025 Economic Development Activities and 2026 Economic Development Budget (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac)
Mr. Eric Pauli, Northern States Power Company dba Xcel Energy (Xcel Energy), requested the Commission approve the company's 2025 Economic Development Activities and its 2026 Economic Development Budget. Mr. Joseph Rezac, staff analyst, recommended the Commission approve Xcel Energy's request.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve Xcel Energy’s 2025 Economic Development Activities and its 2026 Economic Development Budget. Motion carried 3-0.
Natural Gas
1. NG26-002 In the Matter of the Filing by NorthWestern Public Service Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy for Approval of Changes to Its Contract Sales Service Rate 86 and Other Natural Gas Tariff Sheets (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson)
Mr. Jeffrey Decker, NorthWestern Public Service Corporation dba NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern) asked that the Commission approve the Tariff revisions with an effective date of May 1, 2026. Mr. Eric Paulson, staff analyst, recommended that the Commission approve NorthWestern’s request.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve the Tariff revisions with an effective date of May 1, 2026. Motion carried 3-0.
There being no further business, at the hour of 1:56 p.m., the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/ Janeth A. Merriman .
Janeth A. Merriman
Administrative Specialist
puc@state.sd.us
April 23, 2026
