Last year, the Company contributed $1.1 million to Colorado non-profit partners
DENVER, Colo. – May 14, 2021 – Black Hills Energy, which provides electric and natural gas service to Colorado, released its 2020 Community Impact Report, highlighting corporate contributions, volunteerism efforts and overall positive economic impact over the past year. The company’s Colorado charitable giving in 2020 exceeded $1.1 million and direct economic impact totaled $265 million. This included charitable giving, compensation for more than 470 Colorado employees, franchise fees, payments to suppliers, and property, sales and use taxes paid to communities. Black Hills Energy serves roughly 297,000 natural gas and electric customers in 119 communities across Colorado.
“We want to see Colorado thrive, because this is our home, too,” said Vance Crocker, Black Hills Energy’s vice president of utility operations for Colorado. “2020 was a tough year for many and as we fulfilled our commitment to be engaged, responsible community partners, we looked for ways to step up and help quickly, including an initial focus on helping communities meet basic needs and later, with an increased commitment to energy assistance for families experiencing financial hardship. We’re committed to continuing this support as we emerge together from the pandemic and build our Colorado communities even stronger.”
The corporate-wide Community Impact Report showcases how the unprecedented challenges of the last year called for renewed commitment to the unique needs of each of the 823 communities Black Hills Corp. serves, resulting in a total of $5.6 million in charitable contributions to human services agencies, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, and energy assistance programs.
2020 Community Impact Totals
Black Hills Energy supported Colorado communities in many ways during 2020, including:
- Black Hills Energy’s Colorado-based employees pledged $110,000 and numerous hours to United Way chapters across the state, including a 25 percent match from the corporate foundation. Vance Crocker served as United Way of Pueblo County’s 2020 campaign chair, leading fundraising and volunteer efforts for the year.
- Colorado employees volunteered with nearly 75 local and regional groups working to make Colorado a better place, serving on dozens of local boards and providing hands-on volunteer support for many community organizations. This included work with Helping Hands, Open Hearts, where employees adopted families in need in Montrose, Delta and Olathe and purchased holiday gifts and meals.
- Black Hills Energy supported several of Colorado’s signature events and traditions, including the reimagined Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, where the company presented the Drive Thru Fair Food event allowing visitors to enjoy delicious fair food in a COVID-safe way; supported the Junior Livestock Sale; and helped to spread holiday cheer by hanging holiday lights in communities across the state.
- Employees distributed more than 3,500 energy efficiency kits to help families create more energy-efficient homes at events in Frederick, Pueblo, Cañon City, Cripple Creek and Rocky Ford and via direct mail to residents across the state. Plus, more than 10,000 customers participated in energy efficiency programs to save on energy costs. Black Hills Energy worked with customers to provide no-cost support and parts replacements when needed.
- Black Hills Energy helped local organizations and chambers of commerce working to grow Colorado communities through economic development efforts, such as donating proceeds from the sale of water rights for the former W.N. Clark plant in Cañon City to the city for a beautification project.
- Black Hills Energy helped keep Colorado communities safe by sponsoring a Digital Mock Line Strike video produced by Colorado 811, so essential safety and training messages could continue to be shared with excavators and construction companies after in-person training was cancelled due to COVID. The company also donated 3,000 space heaters to keep customers warm as employees worked to restore gas service during an outage in Aspen.
- Black Hills Energy matched customer and employee contributions dollar-for-dollar, sharing a total of $154,000 via Black Hills Cares to help 430 families statewide struggling to pay their utility bills, in partnership with community groups like Energy Outreach Colorado and Posada.
Black Hills Energy serves 1.3 million natural gas and electric utility customers in eight states and is committed to bringing energy to local communities through charitable giving, outreach and employee volunteerism. The company's direct economic impact last year totaled nearly $1.4 billion.
To learn more about Black Hills Energy’s total community impact please visit our website at www.blackhillsenergy.com/our-community-impact.