Commission Minutes | previous page
South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
August 11, 2026, at 9:30 A.M. CDT
Room 413, Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota
MINUTES OF COMMISSION MEETING
Commission Chairman Chris Nelson called the meeting to order. Present were Commissioner Kristie Fiegen and Commissioner Gary Hanson; Commission Advisor Darren Kearney; Commission Attorney Kristen Edwards; Staff Attorneys Jennie Fuerst and Logan Schaefbauer; Staff Analysts Brittany Mehlhaff, Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac and Anuja Oke; Public Utilities Manager Patrick Steffensen; and Administrative Staff Janeth Merriman.
Attending the meeting in person were Ellie Bailey, Riter Rogers, LLP representing Venture Vision, Inc., Venture Communications Cooperative, Jefferson Telephone Company, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority and South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA); Fay Jandreau, Venture Vision, Inc., Venture Communications Cooperative; and Cody Honeywell, May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson LLP representing MidAmerican Energy Company.
Joining the meeting by telephone were Staff Attorney Amanda Reiss; Ryan Taylor, Cutler Law Firm, LLP representing Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc., fka SSTELECOM, Inc. (CLEC) and Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (ILEC); Tracy Bandemer, Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc., fka SSTELECOM, Inc. (CLEC) and Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (ILEC); Rick Gutierrez, Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC; Janelle Jessen, Venture Vision, Inc., Venture Communications Cooperative; Nicole Kroll, Jefferson Telephone Company; Ken White Eyes, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority; Patrick McCann, Midcontinent Communications; Tyler Culbertson, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.; James Moore, Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C. representing Crowned Ridge Energy Storage I, LLC; John Knight, Green Oviatt Law Firm LLP representing Codington Clark Electric Cooperative, Inc.; and Sunny Jansen, Daniel Rathe, Diane Votino and Emily Willits, MidAmerican Energy Company.
An audio recording of the meeting can be found on the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2026, August 11, 2026, recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2026/puc08112026.mp3.
Administration
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on July 28, 2026 (Staff: Janeth Merriman)
Commissioner Fiegen moved to approve the Minutes of the Commission Meeting held on July 28, 2026. Motion carried 3-0.
Consumer Reports
1. Status Report on Consumer Utility Inquiries (Consumer Affairs: Deb Gregg)
The report was presented by Ms. Jennie Fuerst, staff attorney. The Commission received a total of 39 contacts since the last report was prepared for the July 28, 2026, Commission meeting.
Six contacts were related to telecommunications services, 22 contacts were related to electric services, three contacts were related to natural gas services, one contact was related to wireless service, and seven contacts were related to issues not regulated by the PUC.
879 of the 901 contacts received in 2026 have been resolved.
Telecommunications
1. In the Matter of the Request for Certification Regarding the Use of Federal Universal Service Support in Dockets TC26-008, TC26-009, TC26-019, TC26-022, TC26-023, TC26-026, TC26-027, TC26-028, and TC26-029
TC26-008 In the Matter of the Request of Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc., fka SSTELECOM, Inc. (CLEC) for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 399013) (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff)
Mr. Ryan Taylor, Cutler Law Firm, LLP, representing Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc., fka SSTELECOM, Inc. (CLEC) requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Ms. Brittany Mehlhaff, Staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request.
TC26-009 In the Matter of the Request of Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (ILEC) for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 391654) (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff)
Mr. Ryan Taylor, Cutler Law Firm, LLP, representing Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Inc. (ILEC) requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Ms. Brittany Mehlhaff, Staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request.
TC26-019 In the Matter of the Request of Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 395145) (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson)
Mr. Rick Gutierrez, Qwest Corporation dba CenturyLink QC requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Eric Paulson, Staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request. Mr. Gutierrez responded to Commissioners’ questions and committed to filing a written response to the questions in the docket.
Commissioner Nelson deferred the docket to the next commission meeting.
TC26-022 In the Matter of the Request of Venture Vision, Inc. for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 399025) (Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Ellie Bailey, Riter Rogers LLP representing Venture Vision, Inc. requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Logan Schaefbauer, Staff attorney, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request.
TC26-023 In the Matter of the Request of Venture Communications Cooperative for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 391680) (Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Ellie Bailey, Riter Rogers LLP representing Venture Communications Cooperative requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Logan Schaefbauer, Staff attorney, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request. Mr. Fay Jandreau, Venture Communications Cooperative responded to Commissioners’ questions.
TC26-026 In the Matter of the Request of Jefferson Telephone Company for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 391666) (Staff Attorney: Logan Schaefbauer)
Ms. Ellie Bailey, Riter Rogers LLP representing Jefferson Telephone Company requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Logan Schaefbauer, Staff attorney, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request.
TC26-027 In the Matter of the Request of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 391647) (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson)
Ms. Ellie Bailey, Riter Rogers LLP representing Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Eric Paulson, Staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request. Ms. Bailey responded to Commissioners’ questions.
TC26-028 In the Matter of the Request of Midcontinent Communications for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: 399005) (Staff Analyst: Eric Paulson)
Mr. Patrick McCann, Midcontinent Communications requested the Commission provide certification to the Federal Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the proper use of Federal Universal Service Support. Mr. Eric Paulson, Staff analyst, recommended the Commission grant the company’s request. Mr. McCann responded to Commissioners’ questions.
TC26-029 In the Matter of the Request of Clarity Telecom, LLC dba Bluepeak Fiber for Certification Regarding Its Use of Federal Universal Service Support (Study Area: ILEC 391652 and CLEC 399006) (Staff Analyst: Patrick Steffensen)
Commissioner Nelson deferred the docket to a later commission meeting.
Commissioner Fiegen moved to provide a certification to the Federal Communications Commission and to the Universal Service Administration Company regarding the use of Federal Universal Service Support in dockets TC26-008, TC26-009, TC26-022, TC26-023, TC26-026, TC26-027, and TC26-028. Motion carried 3-0.
Electric
1. EL26-013 In the Matter of the Application of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., for Approval of Deferred Accounting Treatment for Retirement of the Glen Ullin Station 6 (Staff Analyst: Brittany Mehlhaff)
A lengthy discussion took place for docket EL26-013. An audio recording of the discussion can be found under the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2026, August 11, 2026, Recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2026/puc08112026.mp3.
Commissioner Hanson moved to authorize Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. to use deferred accounting for the accelerated depreciation and excess accumulated deferred income taxes related to the retirement of the Glen Ullin Station 6 generating station, subject to the conditions recommended by Staff in Staff’s memorandum. Motion carried 3-0.
2. EL26-014 In the Matter of the Application of Crowned Ridge Energy Storage I, LLC for a Permit for an Energy Conversion Facility (Staff Analyst: Jon Thurber; Staff Attorney: Jennie Fuerst)
A lengthy discussion took place for docket EL26-014. An audio recording of the discussion can be found under the PUC website under Commission Actions, Commission Meeting Archives, 2026, August 11, 2026, Recording located at: https://puc.sd.gov/commission/media/2026/puc08112026.mp3. All parties appeared through counsel and provided closing arguments in this matter.
Commissioner Nelson moved to grant the Joint Motion for approval of the procedural schedule with the inclusion of a prehearing conference on March 18, 2027, the responses to final discovery be due March 12, 2026, and that exhibits and witness list be filed on March 15, 2027. Motion carried 3-0.
3. EL26-020 In the Matter of the Filing by MidAmerican Energy Company for Approval of Tariff Revisions to its Rates for Cogeneration and Small Power Production Facilities (Staff Analyst: Joseph Rezac)
Ms. Diane Votino, MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican), requested that the Commission approve MidAmerican’s tariff revisions with an effective date of August 15, 2026. Mr. Joseph Rezac, staff analyst, recommended that the Commission approve the request.
Commissioner Hanson moved to approve the company’s requested tariff revisions effective August 15, 2026. Motion carried 3-0.
Natural Gas
1. NG26-005 In the Matter of MidAmerican Energy Company’s Petition for Extension of Test Period (Staff Analysts: Patrick Steffensen, Brittany Mehlhaff, Eric Paulson, Joseph Rezac; Staff Attorney: Amanda Reiss)
Ms. Emily Willits, MidAmerican Energy Company (MidAmerican) requested the Commission approve MidAmerican’s petition. Ms. Amanda Reiss, staff attorney, did not object to the request.
Commissioner Nelson moved to approve MidAmerican Energy Company’s request for Extension of Filing Deadline Following Test Period. Motion carried 3-0.
There being no further business, at the hour of 10:45 a.m., the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission meeting adjourned.
/s/ Janeth A. Merriman .
Janeth A. Merriman
Administrative Specialist
puc@state.sd.us
August 11, 2026
