Black Hills to Merge With NorthWestern in $3.6 Billion Deal.

The article discusses the merger between US power and natural gas utilities Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy Group, valued at $3.6 billion, driven by increasing electricity demand from data centers. The merger will create a utility serving 2.1 million customers across eight Midwestern and Mountain states. Black Hills, based in Rapid City, South Dakota, serves 1.4 million customers, while NorthWestern Energy serves approximately 800,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Yellowstone National Park. Under the agreement, NorthWestern investors will receive shares of Black Hills, and the combined company will be led by NorthWestern's CEO, Brian Bird. The merger is anticipated to enhance earnings in its first year, with a long-term growth target of 5% to 7% in earnings per share. [Extracted from the article]