Codington County commissioners voted to approve Resolution 2024-41 on Dec. 31, 2024, granting HD Electric Cooperative a county franchise agreement the utility said will let it "ensure that its customers have reliability," according to Craig Evenson, the project's attorney. Motion to approve was made by Commissioner Johnson and seconded by Commissioner Van Duzen; the motion carried.

The franchise application and accompanying exhibits presented by HD Electric describe a planned distribution route from the Sheridan substation into portions of Codington County to "back feed" customers currently served from other nearby substations. "We're asking you to approve a franchise agreement so that HD Electric can ensure that its customers have reliability," project attorney Craig Evenson said during the public hearing. Project engineer Roger Cutshaw described the local configuration: the existing service to the MODAC dairy was picked up around 2007–2008 and is currently a single buried distribution service the company maintains.

Cutshaw said HD Electric plans to use public rights-of-way for the proposed Sheridan route and expects most new distribution segments in the county to be underground. "We place these wires in a depth of approximately 48 inches, 4 feet," Cutshaw said, adding that surface disturbance is typically limited to a 6- to 8-inch-wide path where a cable plow operates and that ground surface is usually pressed back down so vegetation recovers by the next season. He also explained that transmission lines in the area operate at about 69,000 volts and would require a new substation ("about a 1,000,000 and a half dollars") to be tapped for distribution service, making it more economical to use the existing Sheridan substation and run distribution from it.

A county representative asked whether any new infrastructure would cross private property; HD Electric representatives said the intent is to use county public rights-of-way and that, if private easements are needed in the future, the company would work with property owners to secure them. The county's highway superintendent said the highway department would coordinate with the utility on permitting and access.

During the hearing the company showed maps identifying proposed routes through Transberg Township, Pelican Township and Compesco Township; HD Electric said some existing overhead lines in the county will be replaced with underground distribution when they are later upgraded. After a brief public comment period with no callers and no objections from local officials present, the commission closed the hearing and approved the resolution.

The approval authorizes the chair to sign the franchise agreement and records it as Resolution 2024-41. The public hearing and vote were recorded on the Dec. 31, 2024 meeting agenda.