A state investigation of Black Hills Energy, a utilities provider for 1.3 million customers, including Iowans, is being broadened as numerous safety issues have come to light.
The Iowa Utilities Commission announced what it said will be a “comprehensive investigation” on Monday, June 29, as the result of the issues, which were found in a probe of the company’s Spencer unit. The Spencer operating area includes natural gas pipelines in 18 communities in northwest Iowa.
The initial investigation began in September 2025 after a routine inspection the previous June “identified more than 100 safety issues spanning 16 violation categories,” the IUC said. It said none of the violations posed an immediate threat to the public, but because of their volume, it decided to evaluate whether civil penalties were warranted.
“However, as the IUC reviewed the data and looked at other Black Hills operations, the agency became increasingly concerned about potentially broader, company-wide safety issues that are not isolated to the Spencer Unit,” the release said. “The sheer number of violations, delays in making necessary corrections, and the increased risk to public safety prompted the IUC to broaden its investigation.”
The IUC said it is deferring a final decision on civil penalties for the Spencer Unit until it completes what said will be “a full evaluation of Black Hills’ safety and management practices” throughout the rest of Iowa. It said the company has 30 days to “address the root causes of these widespread violations, their delays in fixing known issues, and whether further corrective action plans are needed.”
The IUC will hold a formal hearing Aug. 27 in Des Moines, where Black Hills will have to address its safety practices and compliance with regulations statewide, the release said. The IUC will review the company’s written response to the order and testimony at the hearing to evaluate what penalties and corrective actions are required, it said.
Based in Rapid City, South Dakota, the company serves customers in that state as well as in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Utilities provider Black Hills Energy focus of Iowa safety probe
Reporting by Israel Schuman, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Israel Schuman, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
