Electric battle to continue into legislative session

PIERRE, S.D. (WNAX) – It looks like the battle between rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems will continue into the 2020 South Dakota legislative session.

An interim committee had met several times on the issue and presented their report to the Executive Board this week.

Legislative Research Council attorney Alex Timperley gave the report due to the resignation of Committee Chairman Senator Alan Solano of Rapid City.

Timperley told the board the two sides did reach some agreements.

 

The first section of the proposed bill dealt with negotiations and the third section with holding annual meetings.

Timperley says the middle section is still unresolved.

Timperley says it won’t be a full committee meeting.

The debate centers over land annexed by a municipality and then that electric utility taking over that service area from the rural cooperative.