Officials, owners fire concerns about power shutoff plans

Wes Ashton, vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities for Black Hills Energy (BHE), fielded questions about the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) plan at the June 9 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting. The plan, in short, means that BHE will shut off power by selectively de-energizing power lines to any region during days it deems its power grid might be at risk for starting a wildfire. 

Ashton began his introductions by saying that everything BHE does is driven by safety, and one of the company’s main priorities is wildfires. 

“We come into it with a belief that it’s a shared responsibility for all of us to protect not only the area we are privileged to live in, but also for the best economic conditions that we have here. It’s really important for us to have a good environment because so much of our base comes from tourism, comes from visitors, comes from people who want to grow and move here. So we take it very seriously to take care of that,” he said.

However, the business owners in attendance, along with aldermen and the city administrator, all questioned Ashton’s message, repeatedly asking how the plan would affect tourists and businesses in Hill City. 

Stevie Cummins, owner of Jewel of the West in Hill City, did not mince words, asking Asher if any small business owners were contacted prior to the PSPS plan being announced. 

“You guys are putting us out of business,” Cummins said. “You’re gonna have a ghost town in this town. I’m pissed about this. I think this is an emergency drastic measure that’s very expensive and has huge ramifications.”

Ashton said the purpose of the plan and BHE’s concerns about trees outside the clean cut lines setback falling during extreme events, similar to those in a tornado. 

“These are the devastations that happen in these conditions, that a tree well outside of a right of way will then fall and make impact with a pole or a wire or be laying on a pole. So then, that can be the spark, and then we have the vegetation under that that can amplify it,” he said.

Ashton said once lines are shut off, BHE would have all hands on deck going out immediately, walking lines and beginning “restoration within hours.”

He could not answer how long customers would be without power, only saying it would depend on the “scale of impact.”

“To get all customers online is different than to get the power on for the majority,” said Ashton.

Crews and drones would have to visually inspect every line.

Ashton was also unclear as to how often this would occur. 

“You could have an event a single time in 2024, two times in 2023, no times in 2022, one time in 2021,” he said.

While Ashton specifically said he has been meeting with all stakeholders over the last several months, this was the first time he had met with the HCCC and had not yet met with Keystone trustees nor either town fire departments. 

Cummins also did not believe that stakeholders had been involved in the process, reminding Ashton that customers are stakeholders too, and saying she  took offense about learning about the plan on Facebook.

Gypsy Rose Tattoo owner James Ann Barlean wanted to know if anyone at BHE was accountable for the loss to small business owners, an issue brought up initially by The Farmer’s Daughter owner Lorena  Freis. 

Freis indicated her insurance company would not cover any losses her business may incur when BHE shuts off the power. 

“For us to be shut down, OK, it’s the income for that day,” Barlean said. “But for  our neighbors who have restaurants, what they have  in their stores completely goes to waste, and they have to write that off, and it’s not covered by insurance.”

Ashton agreed that the loss was not one he was aware anyone else, besides the small business owner, would shoulder. 

“I’m not aware of anyone who can take that,” he said. 

Barlean went on to say the locals would not be responding well to the BHE “fear mongering” she sees in this plan, citing how the Black Hills responded to Covid-19. 

“What we want is more information, not a policy put in place based on the worst-case scenario that we should be afraid of. That’s just not how Black Hills people that I know are,” Barlean said. “We don’t make decisions in our homes or our businesses based on fear of potential things that we don’t have information backing up what’s going to happen.

“I think we would all just like actual information. Like this is the likelihood, and this is how many fires could have been started by BHE lines, because we’re not hearing that.”

Alderman Dennis Siebert wanted to know more about the zones of fire risk, asking if BHE had models showing how large of an area might get shut down.

“We don’t have anything specific to share,” Ashton said, adding his team is working on that now. 

Siebert asked how many fires have occurred in the Black Hills caused by winds and power lines by any electric utility. 

“I don’t know that I have that answer,” Ashton said. 

Alderwoman Lori Miner wanted to know why large burn piles were not being cleared and also had concerns about communications and how long cell  phones could be working, an issue city administrator Nate Anderson also voiced.

“There’s a generator that will run the antenna,” Anderson said, saying laws require the antenna to have power for 48 hours. However, Anderson was not certain the data feed between the towers and the city would work that long.

Miner also asked about  the likelihood of BHE purchasing generators for people or the city.

Anderson said when the plan is implemented, the city can provide clean drinking water to the town.  He said the city infrastructure will be “stressed, but they’ll be fine.” 

He said the city is working on a communication plan in case all of the city hall communication systems are affected. 

“Can you please work with Golden West to make sure that their communications are strengthened to Hill City specifically?” Anderson asked Ashton.

Anderson painted a very clear picture for Ashton explaining what the BHE PSPS could mean for Hill City. 

“Most of our city budget runs on tax dollars completely. I’m not convinced  we’re going to have point of sales systems that work. Restaurants aren’t going to have their electricity on. Hotels are going to be dark and no hot water. I think we’re gonna see our town turn into a ghost town. Even with a little rumor of a four-hour shutdown people are gonna take off,” Anderson said. 

He said the region often experiences high winds for days and the fear is having a “four or five-day shut down that just ruins the reputation of Hill City and the Black Hills, and people just leave.”

Ashton said “An electric utility has discretion on how it operates to a degree,” adding, the company will continue to meet with “all elected officials,” as well “as our PUC (Public Utility Commission).”

Despite ongoing questions, one that was evidently clear was that this plan will become a program beginning this summer.  Mayor Tana Nichols asked Ashton if there is a possibility of the plan not going through with his response indicating the definitive answer of no. 

“We believe very firmly this is the right thing to do for this community,” Ashton said.