Latest news with #BlackHills'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What to know about Pueblo's special election after city-owned utility deemed unfeasible
The city of Pueblo purchasing Black Hills Energy's assets and operating a city-owned electric utility may not be feasible, but a special election is still slated for May 6. Language on the special election's Ballot Initiative 2A asks voters if Pueblo should "cancel its franchise agreement" with Black Hills and acquire the investor-owned utility's "generation, transmission and distribution assets ... if determined feasible." Despite two studies — one commissioned by the city and another commissioned by Black Hills — determining municipalization is not feasible, the city still intends to move forward with the special election at a cost of approximately $100,000. Pueblo Director of Public Works Andrew Hayes told the Chieftain that municipalization is not the only way the city could acquire Black Hills' assets and a "yes" vote on 2A would signal to the city that voters are willing to continue exploring alternative ways to leave Black Hills to lower the price ratepayers pay for electricity. "Citizens voting yes doesn't mean that on May 7, the city owns the utility," Hayes said. "There's a long transition process even from that point. There will continue to be more study, there will continue to be more looks into the information to determine what options are feasible, and ultimately to identify the best possible course of action." Black Hills Energy is located at 105 S. Victoria Ave. What options does the city have outside municipalization? In his conversation with the Chieftain, Hayes outlined three alternatives to municipalization; one would involve operating a utility outside of city limits, another would involve the city joining other municipalities within Black Hills' Colorado service area to operate the electric utility, and a third would explore the possibility of another utility company acquiring Black Hills' Pueblo assets. The city has not yet concluded which of the three options would be the most feasible. However, Hayes acknowledged that the city condemning and acquiring Black Hills' assets outside city limits has the potential to impact multiple stakeholders and presents a challenge "on a number of fronts." "The city believes that, under statute, it has the ability to acquire assets outside of city limits for public purposes," he said. "Now, again, there's other limitations there, so we want to make sure we're talking through those options and picking strategic partners that will be in alignment with that vision." Additional options, which Hayes referred to as "smaller steps," include lobbying at the Colorado Legislature to give local jurisdictions more control over utility-related issues. The city could also negotiate, extend, or enter into a new franchise agreement with Black Hills. "There's all kinds of options on the table, but we just need to look at all those things and make sure we're prepared for making the best decision possible," Hayes said. Chavez Huerta: 'Let Us Go': Why Chavez Huerta is demanding to be released from Pueblo D60 Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: What Pueblo is voting for in the May 7 special election
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pueblo 2A special election: Will voters opt to leave Black Hills?
For the second time in a little over five years, city leaders are asking voters if they should cancel Pueblo's franchise agreement with Black Hills Energy. For the special election on May 6, city of Pueblo residents are weighing in on Ballot Initiative 2A — a question asking whether the city should cancel its franchise agreement and "acquire the generation, transmission and distribution assets" of Black Hills, if "determined feasible." A similar election took place on May 5, 2020. Then, voters were asked if the city should cancel the agreement to authorize the formation and operation of a publicly-owned electric utility through the Pueblo Board of Water Works. The 2020 question was resoundingly rejected by voters: over 75% voted against the measure. Will 2025 be any different? It's up to voters to decide. Pueblo City Council President Mark Aliff speaks in opposition to Blacks Hills Energy rate increases on June 11, 2024. What are the arguments for and against 2A in 2025? Opponents of 2A have pointed to a pair of Black Hills Energy-commissioned studies conducted by the Brattle Group that conclude it is too costly for the city of Pueblo to purchase all Black Hills assets within the city and also too expensive for the city to form a regional co-op with other communities paying Black Hills' electric rates. A city-commissioned study also concluded that a city-only utility is not feasible. Proponents of 2A have ruled out the possibility of the city purchasing assets alone, but have not ruled out the chance of garnering regional or statewide support to explore all possibilities. Those supporting 2A in 2025 are distraught by Black Hills' recent rate increase and a study demonstrating that — even before the rate increase — Black Hills customers were paying higher rates than anyone else in the state. A 24 hour ballot drop off box outside the Colorado State Fairgrounds on Prairie Avenue. How and where to vote on 2A in Pueblo Ballots featuring Ballot Initiative 2A were mailed to active voters starting April 14. It's too late to return a ballot by mail, so those seeking to vote in the election must turn in their ballot at a designated drop-off location by 7 p.m. on May 6. Drop-off locations within the city of Pueblo include the following locations: Pueblo County Election Office: 201 W. 8th St., on the east side of the building Pueblo County Courthouse: 215 W. 10th St., on the west side of the building Colorado State Fair: 950 S. Prairie Ave., outside gate along Prairie Avenue Barkman Branch Library: 1300 Jerry Murphy Rd. Lamb Branch Library: 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd., behind the building Routt Ave MV Drive Thru: 1228 Routt Ave. Colorado State University Pueblo: 2200 Bonforte Blvd., accessible from Gonzales Drive Pueblo Community College: 900 W. Orman Ave., accessible from Harrison Street Additionally, the Pueblo County Election Office will have an in-person voting location open until 7 p.m. on the seventh floor of the building, according to an official notice on the May 6 election. Where to find live election results When available, election results will be shared by Pueblo County at Because results will not be released until after the Chieftain's May 7 print deadline, coverage of the results will appear in print on May 8. More on 2A: 'Continue the path forward': Mayor Graham discusses findings of full 2A feasibility study Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@ Support local news, subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo special election: Get results here
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black Hills (NYSE:BKH) Is Paying Out A Larger Dividend Than Last Year
Black Hills Corporation (NYSE:BKH) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 1st of March to $0.676. This makes the dividend yield about the same as the industry average at 4.5%. Check out our latest analysis for Black Hills We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Prior to this announcement, Black Hills' dividend was only 67% of earnings, however it was paying out 214% of free cash flows. While the company may be more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business at this time, we think that a cash payout ratio this high might expose the dividend to being cut if the business ran into some challenges. Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 17.1% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 62% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range. Even over a long history of paying dividends, the company's distributions have been remarkably stable. Since 2015, the dividend has gone from $1.56 total annually to $2.7. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.7% a year over that time. The growth of the dividend has been pretty reliable, so we think this can offer investors some nice additional income in their portfolio. Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. Earnings has been rising at 3.0% per annum over the last five years, which admittedly is a bit slow. Black Hills is struggling to find viable investments, so it is returning more to shareholders. This isn't bad in itself, but unless earnings growth pick up we wouldn't expect dividends to grow either. Overall, this is probably not a great income stock, even though the dividend is being raised at the moment. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income. Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've identified 2 warning signs for Black Hills (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing. Is Black Hills not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
