We are knee deep into the month of love. Stores have dedicated entire aisles to heart-shaped candy; flower shops are bursting with roses; and the romantics among us are dutifully planning the perfect Valentine’s Day date for their “schmoopies.”

But love isn’t always romantic, right? Sometimes it’s love of the planet or love of community; and sometimes it’s love of our customers. That’s right, we aren’t afraid to say we love you — our customers. Even better, we don’t limit our affection to February. Unlike Cupid, we like to show our love year-around.
 

Caring for our communities

Take Black Hills Cares for instance. Partnering with nonprofits throughout our states, we help distribute funds to families struggling to pay heating bills (and other related expenses). In the past 13 years, Black Hills Cares has given nearly $6.8 million to those in need. In 2020, more than 2,500 families were helped. Our team members express their caring in countless ways. Whether it’s collecting Christmas presents for a domestic violence shelter in Arkansas or helping with senior meal deliveries in Nebraska, our employees reach deep into their hearts to help their communities. In 2020, a year more challenging than most due to the pandemic, more than 630 employees gave of their time and talents volunteering with over 1,000 organizations. Our charitable giving totaled $5.6 million that year.

Whew! That’s a lot of love; but there’s still more.
 

Caring for each other

Black Hills Energy believes in an inclusive culture where all have opportunity. We want people from all walks of life to feel welcome and valued at our company. It’s not just for altruistic reasons, though. We know that diversity makes us a better company. Diverse organizations outperform nondiverse organizations, and diverse teams bringing a variety of backgrounds, cultures and experiences are found to be more innovative and better at problem-solving.  

Black Hills Energy goes out of its way to recruit and retain a diverse workforce — offering career development opportunities and employee resource groups that support veterans, women and more. Our newest group, EDGE, aims to engage and empower racially and ethnically diverse employees. Read more about how we value diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
 

Caring for our planet

We also love our planet and actively work on sustaining it. Black Hills Energy’s mission of improving life with energy means we think about our future. We have committed to reducing electric emissions intensity 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2040, while reducing natural gas emissions intensity 50% by 2035. By 2021, we had already achieved a 30% reduction in electric emissions and 33% reduction in natural gas emissions.

So, while you won’t get a heart-shaped box of chocolates from Black Hills Energy this Valentine’s Day, don’t despair. We're always here, and always ready to show our love and support to our customers, communities and then planet. Plus, we’ll do it year-around. Take that Cupid!

Happy Valentine’s month, everyone.