Black Hills (US:BKH)2025-07-31 16:02Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.38 for Q2 2025, up from $0.33 in Q2 2024, reflecting a year-over-year growth of approximately 15% [15][16] - Year-to-date EPS increased to $2.24 from $2.19 compared to the same period last year, driven by successful regulatory strategies and favorable weather conditions [17][18] - The company reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance range of $4 to $4.2 per share, indicating a 5% growth rate at the midpoint over 2024 EPS [11][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - New margins contributed $0.22 per share, including $0.17 from new rates and rider recovery, which offset higher operating expenses and financing costs [16] - The company experienced a positive weather impact of $0.03 per share compared to Q2 2024, although weather drove $0.04 per share of unfavorability during Q2 2025 [16][17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wyoming Electric recorded four all-time peak loads in the first half of the year, with the latest peak of 379 megawatts representing a 21% increase over 2024 [9] - The company is witnessing growing demand from data center and blockchain customers, contributing solid earnings growth [9][12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a $1 billion capital plan to support key projects and regulatory initiatives, aiming for top quartile reliability and above-industry-average safety performance [6][8] - The long-term growth strategy includes a $4.7 billion capital plan, with significant investments in infrastructure to enhance system resiliency and support growing demand [11][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving the upper half of the long-term EPS growth target of 4% to 6% starting in 2026, driven by new rates, customer growth, and data center demand [21][53] - The company is actively engaging with potential data center customers, indicating a robust pipeline of demand that will drive future growth [14][21] Other Important Information - The company has established an emergency public safety power shutoff program to mitigate wildfire risks, reflecting a commitment to customer safety [10][30] - The company maintains a strong balance sheet with a focus on credit quality, targeting a funds from operations (FFO) to debt ratio of 14% to 15% [18][19] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the outlook for industrial growth, particularly in digital sectors? - Management noted that while significant growth was observed, it is not expected to be strictly linear, with varying ramp rates depending on the type of data center and blockchain load [35][38] Question: Are the new announcements for Wyoming part of the existing pipeline? - Management confirmed that the new announcements are incremental to the existing pipeline and will be included in future load forecasts once agreements are executed [39][40] Question: What is driving the confidence in achieving the upper half of the growth range? - Management highlighted several drivers, including significant capital projects, ongoing customer growth, and the ramp-up of data center loads, which are expected to contribute positively [49][53] Question: Can you provide details on the unplanned outages and their impact? - Management stated that all generation is currently online and operational, and while there were some impacts from outages, they have been mitigated, resulting in an immaterial financial impact [54][56][58]