PIERRE, S.D. (KWAT) – A nine-member interim legislative committee last week approved the framework of a compromise in an electric service territory dispute.

It requires regular meetings and good faith negotiations between rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems in South Dakota when they’re in disagreement over who should be allowed to serve customers in newly annexed areas of a city.

The committee decided if the utilities cannot negotiate an agreement, the Public Utilities Commission would settle the dispute.

Chris Nelson is on the three-member PUC.

Nelson says there’s still some uncertainty with all of this.

Nelson says the PUC does not want to pick sides in this electric service territory debate.

Having said that, Nelson says he can see both sides of the argument.

The concept approved by the interim committee will now be passed up to the Legislature’s Executive Board. Look for more debate on this issue during the upcoming Legislative session.