Looking Ahead: Our Commitment to the Community

On May 5th, Pueblo voters chose a better path forward for our community rather than pursuing a municipal utility.  We’re pleased with their decision and commend voters for taking the time to understand this complex issue.

We’re grateful for the support of many people in the community. Our Black Hills Energy employees never wavered in their commitment to deliver great service despite a global pandemic and an election that brought uncertainty. I salute their pride and professionalism. I also want to thank Council President Dennis Flores, council member Lori Winner, and former district attorney Gus Sandstrom for their work as campaign co-chairs.

With the election behind us, we know we have work to do. As Pueblo’s energy provider, we also want to continue to be a valued community partner.  We’re committed to helping Pueblo and all of the Colorado communities we serve to thrive.

The world has changed in the last few months but our commitment to you has not. We will continue to have conversations with local leaders to make sure we’re supporting the community’s needs today. COVID-19 and the economic aftershocks are hitting our community hard and we want to direct our resources to where they’re needed most. That’s why we are moving forward aggressively on two of our earlier proposals.

1. Even More Renewable Energy. Part of our commitment to the community was adding up to 200 MW of low-cost renewable energy through our Renewable Advantage plan. On June 19th, we’ll file our recommendation on renewable energy bids with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Subject to PUC approval, construction could begin in 2022 with customers seeing savings as early as 2023. This project is designed to reduce customer bills and nearly double our renewable energy making Southern Colorado a clean energy leader in the state.
2. Rate Freeze. We have also proposed to freeze base rates for five years through January 1, 2025. Base rates make up 70 percent of the average residential bill and freezing these rates will provide millions in customer savings.

By partnering for economic development and providing a continued flow of support for local organizations working to support our community, we can help make Pueblo an even better place to live, work, and play.  One example is the substantial gift we made recently to Pueblo County United Way’s COVID-19 Emergency Response and Relief Fund.

Over the next 90 days, we plan to create a Community Advisory Council. The council will advise our team on community priorities and how Black Hills Energy can help address them. We’ll recruit respected community leaders to serve on the council and will engage in an open, transparent way. Input from this council will help shape the ways we support our community.

The bottom line is that our commitment to support Pueblo and all of the Colorado communities we serve has never been stronger. These are challenging times but Pueblo has overcome many challenges in the past. All of us at Black Hills Energy appreciate the opportunity for a fresh start and we look forward to helping our Colorado communities move forward toward a brighter future.