Black Hills Energy Public Notice

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s (Commission) Rules and Regulations, notice is hereby given of the Application of Black Hills Power, Inc. d/b/a Black Hills Energy (BHP or Company) to maintain its energy payment rate for purchasing power from qualifying small power production or cogeneration facilities greater than 25 kw at $0.02141 per kWh, as more fully described below.

1. BHP is a public utility subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction. Wyo. Stat. §§ 37-1-101(a)(vi)(C) and 37-2-112. 

2. On June 27, 2025, BHP filed an Application proposing to maintain its standard rate for purchasing power from qualifying small power production or cogeneration facilities greater than 25 kW. The current energy payment rate, or avoided cost rate, is $0.02141 per kWh for all QF purchases and has been effective for usage since August 1, 2023. BHP requests to maintain the current rate until Commission concerns around the Company’s energy payment rate calculation methodology in Docket No. 20003-239-ET-24 are resolved, as the Company uses a universal calculation methodology across all Black Hills Energy entities. 

3. The Company filed the Application to comply with 18 CFR §292.302 which requires it to provide data to derive avoided cost. This energy payment rate, or avoided cost rate, is an obligatory rate of pay for energy and capacity purchased from Qualifying Facilities (QF) with a design capacity greater than 25kW.

4. This is not a complete description of the Application. Interested persons may inspect it at the Commission in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Application may also be viewed online at: https://dms.wyo.gov/external/publicusers.aspx (Enter Record No. 17877).

5. Anyone wishing to file a statement, intervention petition, protest or request for a public hearing in this matter must do so in writing filed with the Commission on or before August 22, 2025. Any intervention request filed with the Commission shall set forth the grounds of the proposed intervention or request for hearing as well as the position and the interest of the petitioner in this proceeding. Please be sure to mention Docket No. 20002-144-ET-25 in all correspondence with the Commission.

6. If you wish to intervene in this matter or request a public hearing which you will attend and you require reasonable accommodation for a disability, call the Commission at (307) 777-7427 or write to the Commission, 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 300, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002. Communications-impaired persons may contact the Commission through Wyoming Relay at 711.

Dated July 23, 2025.

(Publish July 31 and August 7, 2025)