Black Hills Corp., doing business as Black Hills Energy, and North-Western Energy, in a joint application submitted last Tuesday to the Nebraska Public Service Commission seeking regulatory approval for a merger between the two companies.
The merger will combine the strengths of both companies, resulting in an organization with greater scale, financial stability, and operational expertise. It is designed to create a stronger, more resilient energy company focused on delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions to customers. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Brian Bird, president and CEO of NorthWestern Energy, will serve as president and CEO of the combined electric and natural gas utility company, and Linn Evans, CEO of Black Hills Corp., will continue serving in his role through the close of the transaction, at which point he will retire. The merger does not change energy service or rates for customers served by Black Hills Energy and NorthWestern Energy. Regulatory oversight by the Nebraska Public Service Commission will remain unchanged.
“Bringing our companies together will deliver long-term value to our customers, employees and communities by providing safe, reliable and affordable energy solutions,” Bird said. “By joining forces, we will have the added scale to make us a financially stronger, more resilient utility better equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing energy landscape.”