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PUC grants party status in Crown Ridge battery‑storage siting case and adds rural electric association
Summary
After debate over who had a "direct interest" in the Crown Ridge battery energy storage siting docket, the PUC adopted staff recommendations with an amendment to add the South Dakota Rural Electric Association as an intervenor; Basin and East River received mixed responses during debate.
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on July 28 opened consideration of EL26‑014, the Crown Ridge Energy Storage 1 LLC permit application for a battery energy storage facility, and resolved contested petitions for party status.
Applicant counsel James Moore argued the commission should apply a presumptive two‑mile radius used in earlier siting dockets and noted Crown Ridge's sound modeling (Appendix F) shows sound levels at 1.5 miles are within county guidelines. "The modeling that was done and that is included in appendix F to the application shows sound levels at 1.5 miles from the project site, and it shows sound levels that are within county guidelines," Moore said. Staff advised the commission that South Dakota law requires a demonstrable, direct interest for intervention and recommended denying party status to parties that did not meet that statutory standard.
Several entities sought party status: South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA), Basin Electric and East River argued they had particular contractual or operational interests; Coddington Clark Electric supported Basin and East River's requests. Local landowners including Emily Mack and the Lindgrens urged the commission to consider proximity, safety and property‑value impacts. Commissioners debated statutory standards, docket scope and workload implications; a substitute motion to admit SDREA, Basin and East River failed, but an amendment to add SDREA to the staff‑recommended list passed. The commission adopted the staff recommendations as amended.
The outcome establishes the roster of parties for the Crown Ridge siting docket and frames the evidentiary scope the commission will consider at future hearings.
