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South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Meeting
Wednesday, March 7, 2007, at 9:30 A.M.
Cactus Conference Room, PUC Offices, State Capitol Building
Pierre, South Dakota 

MINUTES OF THE AD HOC COMMISSION MEETING 

Vice Chairman Hanson called the meeting to order.  Present were: Commissioner Steve Kolbeck; Commission Advisor Greg Rislov; Commission Attorneys Rolayne Wiest and John Smith; Staff Attorneys Kara Van Bockern and Karen Cremer; Staff Analysts Nathan Solem, Dave Jacobson, Brian Rounds, and Bob Knadle; and Administrative Secretary Demaris Axthelm. 

Also present were Bob Miller, South Dakota Electric Utility Companies;  

Joining the meeting by telephone were; Chairman Dustin Johnson, Tammy Aberle, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company; and James Wilcox, Xcel Energy. 

Electric 

1.       EL07-005  In the Matter of the Filing by Northern States Power Company d/b/a Xcel Energy for Approval of Tariff Revisions.  (Staff Analysts:  Brian Rounds/Dave Jacobson, Staff Attorney:  Kara Van Bockern) 

             Mr. James Wilcox, representing Xcel Energy explained that the 2005 Energy Policy Act contains a trial change in daylight savings time (DST) which results in a starting date of March 11 in 2007 instead of the first Sunday in April. He stated that meters for time of day rates are preprogrammed to switch to DST on the old date and that reprogramming costs are significant. Because this change in DST dates is a trial and not yet permanent, Xcel is proposing to leave the meters programmed as is and revise their tariff, for 2007, to reflect a change in on and off peak hours effective from the new daylight savings time implementation date to the date already programmed in the time of day meters. The tariff revisions also address the change of date of discontinuance of DST this fall. Mr. Wilcox explained affected customers have been notified of the proposed revisions.  Mr. Brian Rounds of Commission Staff stated that because Xcel can avoid unnecessary costs if the change to DST is not made permanent, and since Xcel plans to reprogram its time of day meters if the DST change is made permanent, and because all customers are being notified of the schedule change, Staff recommends approval of the tariff revisions.