BLACK HILLS CORP /SD/ Debt Disclosure
(8) FINANCING
Shelf Registration Statement
We maintain an effective shelf registration statement (Registration No. 333-272739) with the SEC under which we may issue, from time to time, an unspecified amount of senior debt securities, subordinated debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, and other securities.
Short-term debt
Revolving Credit Facility and CP Program
On May 31, 2024, we amended and restated our corporate Revolving Credit Facility, maintaining total commitments of $750 million and extending the term through May 31, 2029, with two one-year extension options (subject to consent from lenders). On June 6, 2025, with approval from our lenders, we utilized one of our two available one-year extension options under the amended and restated Revolving Credit Facility, thereby extending its maturity date to May 31, 2030.This facility is similar to the former revolving credit facility, which includes an accordion feature that allows us to increase total commitments up to $1.0 billion with the consent of the administrative agent, the issuing agents and each bank increasing or providing a new commitment. Borrowings continue to be available under a base rate or various SOFR rate options. The interest costs associated with the letters of credit or borrowings and the commitment fee under the Revolving Credit Facility are determined based upon our Corporate credit rating from S&P and Moody's for our senior unsecured long-term debt. Based on our current credit ratings, the margins for base rate borrowings, SOFR borrowings and letters of credit were 0.125%, 1.125%, and 1.125%, respectively, at December 31, 2025. Based on our credit ratings, the commitment fee on unused amounts was 0.175%.
We have a $750 million, unsecured CP Program that is backstopped by the Revolving Credit Facility. Amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility and the CP Program, either individually or in the aggregate, cannot exceed $750 million. The notes issued under the CP Program may have maturities not to exceed 397 days from the date of issuance and bear interest (or are sold at par less a discount representing an interest factor) based on, among other things, the size and maturity date of the note, the frequency of the issuance and our credit ratings. Under the CP Program, any borrowings rank equally with our unsecured debt. Notes under the CP Program are not registered and are offered and issued pursuant to a registration exemption.
Our Revolving Credit Facility and CP Program, which are classified as Notes payable on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, had the following borrowings, outstanding letters of credit, and available capacity at December 31:
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
|
(dollars in millions) |
|
||||
Amount outstanding |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
133.8 |
|
Letters of credit (a) |
|
3.2 |
|
|
3.5 |
|
Available capacity |
|
746.8 |
|
|
612.7 |
|
Weighted average interest rates |
N/A |
|
|
4.74 |
% |
|
Revolving Credit Facility and CP Program borrowing activity for the years ended December 31 was as follows:
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
|
(dollars in millions) |
|
||||
Maximum amount outstanding (based on daily outstanding balances) |
$ |
263.6 |
|
$ |
140.6 |
|
Average amount outstanding (based on daily outstanding balances) |
|
87.1 |
|
|
17.1 |
|
Weighted average interest rates |
|
4.55 |
% |
|
4.86 |
% |
Long-term debt
Long-term debt outstanding was as follows:
|
|
Interest Rate at |
Balance Outstanding |
|
||||
|
Due Date |
December 31, 2025 |
December 31, 2025 |
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
||
|
|
|
(in millions) |
|
||||
BHC |
|
|
|
|
||||
Senior unsecured notes due 2026 |
January 15, 2026 |
3.95% |
$ |
300.0 |
|
$ |
300.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes due 2027 |
January 15, 2027 |
3.15% |
|
400.0 |
|
|
400.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes due 2028 |
March 15, 2028 |
5.95% |
|
350.0 |
|
|
350.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes, due 2029 |
October 15, 2029 |
3.05% |
|
400.0 |
|
|
400.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes, due 2030 |
June 15, 2030 |
2.50% |
|
400.0 |
|
|
400.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes, due 2031 |
January 31, 2031 |
4.55% |
|
450.0 |
|
|
— |
|
Senior unsecured notes due 2033 |
May 1, 2033 |
4.35% |
|
400.0 |
|
|
400.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes due 2034 |
May 15, 2034 |
6.15% |
|
450.0 |
|
|
450.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes due 2035 |
January 15, 2035 |
6.00% |
|
450.0 |
|
|
450.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes, due 2046 |
September 15, 2046 |
4.20% |
|
300.0 |
|
|
300.0 |
|
Senior unsecured notes, due 2049 |
October 15, 2049 |
3.88% |
|
300.0 |
|
|
300.0 |
|
Total BHC debt |
|
|
|
4,200.0 |
|
|
3,750.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
South Dakota Electric |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
First Mortgage Bonds due 2032 (a) |
August 15, 2032 |
7.23% |
|
75.0 |
|
|
75.0 |
|
First Mortgage Bonds due 2039 (a) |
November 1, 2039 |
6.13% |
|
180.0 |
|
|
180.0 |
|
First Mortgage Bonds due 2044 (a) |
October 20, 2044 |
4.43% |
|
85.0 |
|
|
85.0 |
|
Total South Dakota Electric debt |
|
|
|
340.0 |
|
|
340.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Wyoming Electric |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Industrial development revenue bonds due 2027 (b) (c) |
March 1, 2027 |
3.35% |
|
10.0 |
|
|
10.0 |
|
First Mortgage Bonds due 2037 (a) |
November 20, 2037 |
6.67% |
|
110.0 |
|
|
110.0 |
|
First Mortgage Bonds due 2044 (a) |
October 20, 2044 |
4.53% |
|
75.0 |
|
|
75.0 |
|
Total Wyoming Electric debt |
|
|
|
195.0 |
|
|
195.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total long-term debt |
|
|
|
4,735.0 |
|
|
4,285.0 |
|
Less current maturities |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Less unamortized debt discount |
|
|
|
(7.8 |
) |
|
(8.7 |
) |
Less unamortized deferred financing costs (d) |
|
|
|
(26.1 |
) |
|
(26.1 |
) |
Long-term debt, net of current maturities and deferred financing costs |
|
|
$ |
4,701.1 |
|
$ |
4,250.2 |
|
Scheduled maturities of long-term debt and associated interest payments by year are shown below:
|
Payments Due by Period |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
2026 |
|
2027 |
|
2028 |
|
2029 |
|
2030 |
|
Thereafter |
|
Total |
|
|||||||
|
(in millions) |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Principal payments on Long-term debt including current maturities (a) |
$ |
300.0 |
|
$ |
410.0 |
|
$ |
350.0 |
|
$ |
400.0 |
|
$ |
400.0 |
|
$ |
2,875.0 |
|
$ |
4,735.0 |
|
Interest payments on Long-term debt (a) |
|
206.1 |
|
|
197.1 |
|
|
180.3 |
|
|
169.9 |
|
|
152.7 |
|
|
956.3 |
|
|
1,862.4 |
|
Debt Transactions
On October 2, 2025, we completed a public debt offering of $450 million, 4.55% senior unsecured notes due January 31, 2031. Proceeds from the offering, which were reduced by $4.0 million of deferred financing costs, were used to repay all $300 million principal amount outstanding of our 3.95% senior unsecured notes at their January 15, 2026, maturity date and for other general corporate purposes.
Financial Covenants
Revolving Credit Facility
We were in compliance with all of our Revolving Credit Facility covenants as of December 31, 2025. We are required to maintain a Consolidated Indebtedness to Capitalization Ratio not to exceed 0.65 to 1.00. Subject to applicable cure periods, a violation of this covenant would constitute an event of default that entitles the lenders to terminate their remaining commitments and accelerate all principal and interest outstanding. As of December 31, 2025, our Consolidated Indebtedness to Capitalization Ratio was 0.55 to 1.00.
Wyoming Electric
Wyoming Electric was in compliance with all covenants within its financing agreements as of December 31, 2025. Wyoming Electric is required to maintain a debt to capitalization ratio of no more than 0.60 to 1.00. As of December 31, 2025, Wyoming Electric's debt to capitalization ratio was 0.50 to 1.00.
Dividend Restrictions
Our Revolving Credit Facility and other debt obligations contain restrictions on the payment of cash dividends when a default or event of default occurs.
Due to our holding company structure, substantially all of our operating cash flows are provided by dividends paid or distributions made by our subsidiaries. The cash to pay dividends to our shareholders is derived from these cash flows. As a result, certain statutory limitations or regulatory or financing agreements could affect the levels of distributions allowed to be made by our subsidiaries.
Our Utilities are generally limited to the amount of dividends allowed to be paid to our utility holding company under the Federal Power Act and settlement agreements with state regulatory jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2025, the amount of restricted net assets at our Utilities that may not be distributed to our utility holding company in the form of a loan or dividend was approximately $160.8 million.
South Dakota Electric and Wyoming Electric are generally limited to the amount of dividends allowed to be paid to our utility holding company under certain financing agreements.
Equity
Although our aforementioned shelf registration statement does not limit our issuance capacity, our ability to issue securities is limited to the authority granted by our Board of Directors, certain covenants in our financing arrangements and restrictions imposed by federal and state regulatory authorities. Our articles of incorporation authorize the issuance of 100 million shares of common stock and 25 million shares of preferred stock. As of December 31, 2025, we had 75.5 million shares of common stock outstanding and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
At-the-Market Equity Offering Program
On May 8, 2025, we entered into a First Amendment to our Equity Distribution Sales Agreement (the “First Amendment”). The First Amendment, among other things, provides for the continuation of the ATM, which allows us to sell shares of common stock under the Company's shelf registration statement (Registration No. 333-272739), and resets the size of the ATM to $400 million. The First Amendment aggregate gross sales price limitation of $400 million supersedes and replaces the aggregate gross sales price limitation provided in our Equity Distribution Sales Agreement. Except as modified by the First Amendment, our Equity Distribution Sales Agreement remains in full force and effect.
ATM activity for the years ended December 31 was as follows:
|
December 31, 2025 |
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
|||
|
(in millions, except per share amounts) |
|
|||||||
August 4, 2020 ATM Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Proceeds, (net of issuance costs of $0.0, $0.0, and $(0.5), respectively) |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
48.5 |
|
Number of shares issued |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
0.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
June 16, 2023 ATM Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Proceeds, (net of issuance costs of $(0.6), $(1.8), and $(0.7), respectively |
$ |
45.7 |
|
$ |
181.6 |
|
$ |
70.2 |
|
Number of shares issued |
|
0.8 |
|
|
3.3 |
|
|
1.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
May 8, 2025 ATM Program |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Proceeds, (net of issuance costs of $(1.8), $0.0, and $0.0, respectively |
$ |
173.9 |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
Number of shares issued |
|
2.9 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Total activity under all ATM Programs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Proceeds, (net of issuance costs of $(2.4), $(1.8), and $(1.2), respectively) |
$ |
219.6 |
|
$ |
181.6 |
|
$ |
118.7 |
|
Number of shares issued |
|
3.7 |
|
|
3.3 |
|
|
2.0 |
|
Average price per share |
$ |
59.56 |
|
$ |
55.63 |
|
$ |
59.04 |
|
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 11, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 12, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 14, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 14, 2023 | |
| 2020 | Feb 26, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 14, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 19, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 26, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 27, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 25, 2016 | |
About Debt Disclosures
Debt disclosures detail a company's borrowing structure — the types of instruments, interest rates, maturity schedule, and covenant restrictions that define its financial obligations and flexibility. This section is essential for assessing refinancing risk, interest rate exposure, and the margin of safety against financial distress.
Key signals: the maturity schedule reveals concentration risk — large maturities within 1-2 years during tight credit markets can force dilutive refinancing or asset sales. Compare the fair value of debt against carrying amount to gauge whether the market views the company's credit risk differently than the balance sheet suggests. Watch covenant compliance disclosures for tightening cushions, especially leverage and interest coverage ratios. Variable-rate debt exposure quantifies sensitivity to interest rate changes. Secured versus unsecured mix affects recovery rates and future borrowing capacity. Compare net debt-to-EBITDA against industry peers and covenant limits to assess financial health.