I am pleased to report that Black Hills Corporation had a strong second quarter with solid financial and operational performance. We are on track with our $800 million capital investment plan for 2024 and expect to achieve our earnings guidance range of $3.80 to $4 per share. Our commitment to delivering excellent service to our customers and advancing strategic growth initiatives remains unwavering.
One of the key highlights from this quarter is our involvement in powering Meta’s first data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This project is a significant milestone for us, and we are excited to begin servicing Meta’s energy needs starting in 2026. This partnership underscores our dedication to meeting the evolving energy demands of our customers and supporting the growth of clean energy solutions.
In addition to our capital investments, we are also making progress on regulatory initiatives with three active rate reviews. Our Ready Wyoming electric transmission project is advancing, and we expect the first segment to be in service later this year, with full completion by year-end 2025. We are committed to enhancing system reliability and resiliency for our 1.3 million customers.
Furthermore, our focus on clean energy projects in Colorado and South Dakota, including solar, battery, and wind energy, demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. We are actively managing expenses and reducing debt to improve credit metrics and maintain a strong financial position.
Looking ahead, we remain confident in our financial outlook and long-term growth opportunities. We are dedicated to improving credit quality and growing our dividend at a rate comparable to earnings growth. We continue to invest in operational excellence and forward-looking initiatives to meet the energy needs of our customers.
In conclusion, Black Hills Corporation is well-positioned for continued success, with a strong track record of financial stability and growth. We are excited about the future and look forward to delivering value to our shareholders and customers. Thank you for your continued support. Now, I will turn the call back to Jerome for the Q&A session. Thank you. Additionally, we successfully completed a debt offering during the quarter, further strengthening our balance sheet and providing us with additional financial flexibility. Looking at our financial performance in more detail, operating expenses were well managed, and we remain on track with our cost control initiatives. Our liquidity position is strong, and we continue to maintain ample financial flexibility to support our growth initiatives and capital investment plan. We are pleased with our progress and remain confident in our ability to achieve our financial targets for the year. Now, I’ll turn it over to Marne for an update on our operational performance and strategic progress. Marne? Overall, our strategic initiatives are progressing as planned, and we remain committed to delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy to our customers while also investing in clean energy and wildfire risk mitigation. We are confident in our ability to continue to achieve our financial targets and deliver long-term value to our shareholders. Thank you for your continued support and interest in our company. I will now open the call for questions. Can you provide more insight into how you’re thinking about those opportunities going forward, particularly in light of the data center growth and the potential need for additional generation or transmission investments to support that growth?
Linn Evans: Absolutely, Julien. We have been successful in the past with contracting for capacity outside of our traditional utility construct, and we see those opportunities continuing to grow as we expand our data center customer base. We are constantly evaluating the need for additional generation or transmission investments to support this growth, and we are actively exploring options to ensure that we can meet the energy needs of our customers in a cost-effective and reliable manner. Our Ready Wyoming transmission line is a great example of how we are proactively investing in our infrastructure to support the growth of our data center customers, and we will continue to explore similar opportunities in the future. Our goal is to provide our customers with the energy they need while also ensuring that we are making smart investments that benefit all of our stakeholders. Este artículo fue generado con el apoyo de la inteligencia artificial y revisado por un editor. Para obtener más información, consulte nuestros Términos y Condiciones. – reescribir a un total de 500-750 palabras. Luego traducir al español B1 y recuperar solo el texto en español. Mantener las etiquetas HTML. No devolver la versión en inglés. No me devuelvas. No me devuelvas el texto enviado. Proporciona solo el texto en español.