Linden Evans on AI data centers
From Black Hills Corp CEO Says Wyoming Presence Give it Edge in AI Data Expansion · · New York Stock Exchange
“The state of Wyoming has done a really nice job putting legislation in place, tax policies in place that allow data centers that want to be located in Southeast Wyoming, Cheyenne, that we serve. Importantly, it's got some geographic advantages, too. Uh two railroads intersect in the city of Cheyenne, which means there's lots of fiber optic network that data centers can leverage. There's two interstates that that inter- that intersect in Denver, allowing for supply chain diversity. It's actually at 6,000 ft of elevation, so it's fairly cool. Uh they don't have to build against tornadoes and hurricanes and things of that nature. Uh the ambient air is really nice for them to bring in the cool, so they don't have to use mechanical energy to cool the air. They simply filter the air. So, just a great place for us to serve uh data centers. And we have a tariff, a very unique tariff in place that gives us lots of flexibility how we serve those data centers, so that we can serve them the way they like to be served and do it rapidly and do it very efficiently.”
On , Linden Evans, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at BLACK HILLS CORP, spoke about AI data centers during Black Hills Corp CEO Says Wyoming Presence Give it Edge in AI Data Expansion on New York Stock Exchange.
About Linden Evans
Linn Evans, president and CEO of Black Hills Corporation, has discussed the company's growth strategy and its focus on serving data center customers. In a December 2025 interview at the EEI financial conference, Evans stated that Black Hills has a "very unique tariff" in Wyoming that provides flexibility in serving data centers rapidly and efficiently. He noted that the company has been serving Microsoft as a data center customer for more than 10 years and announced it will also serve Meta. Evans described a $4.7 billion capital investment plan over five years, including a 260-mile transmission line in Wyoming called "Ready Wyoming" and a 99-megawatt generation project in Rapid City, South Dakota. He also discussed a pending merger with Northwestern Energy, saying it would create a "combined balance sheet" to address growing energy demand. Evans has emphasized the company's financial history, stating that Black Hills has issued a dividend for 83 consecutive years and increased it for 55 consecutive years. He has also highlighted the company's reliability record, saying two of its electric utilities are in the top quartile for reliability and one is ranked number two in the nation. In earlier appearances, Evans discussed the company's commitment to community support, including a $375,000 corporate commitment for COVID-19 relief efforts across eight states in 2020, and a policy of not disconnecting customers for non-payment during the pandemic. He has also spoken about the importance of early childhood education and the company's support for enhancing child care in South Dakota.