BLACK HILLS ENERGY ADVISES NEBRASKANS
TO CALL 811 BEFORE DIGGING

Black Hills Contact Information:
Bob McKeon 402-943-9143
Black Hills Media Line 866-243-9002

LINCOLN, Neb., April 6, 2009–As the weather warms and the gardening and construction season begins, Black Hills Energy is reminding all customers and contractors to call 811 for a utility line locate before digging.

"Safety is a top priority for Black Hills Energy," said Tim Proksel, operations supervisor for Black Hills Energy and member of the Digger’s Hotline of Nebraska board. "A single call to Digger’s Hotline helps everyone avoid the possibility of serious or fatal injury and the expensive cost of repairing natural gas service lines."

According to Common Ground Alliance, more than 256,000 underground utility lines are struck each year in the U.S., and 35 percent of all U.S. damages from digging result from not calling for line locates before digging.

This is why April has been designated as National Safe Digging Month and in Nebraska, "Call Before You Dig Month." Black Hills Energy advises that anyone who plans to plant a garden or a tree, put in a fence or start any project where the soil is being disturbed to first call Digger’s Hotline of Nebraska so underground utility lines can be marked.

Digger’s Hotline of Nebraska is the state’s utility line locating service that is provided free of charge by Black Hills Energy and other participating utilities in Nebraska. Residents need to call at least two business days, but not more than 10 business days, before their project begins. The phone numbers are 811, 800-331-5666 statewide in Nebraska, or 402-344-3565 in metropolitan Omaha.

Once a request is received, Digger’s Hotline notifies all affected utilities. Personnel are then sent to mark the location of any underground lines and facilities, including water, sewer, storm sewer, gas, electric and cable TV. Each line is color coded; yellow paint or flags, for example, mark the location of pipelines carrying natural gas, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials.

Besides having to pay for costly repairs if underground facilities are damaged, an individual or company could be fined up to $10,000 for damages caused to the underground infrastructure and that amount can increase each day the service interruption persists, up to a maximum of $500,000.

"It just doesn’t make sense to skip this important step, even if all you’re doing is a small amount of landscaping in your backyard," said Proksel. "Ensure the safety of your family and neighbors and call 811 before you dig. It’s free, it’s easy and it’s the law." Additional customer resources include Web sites for Common Ground Alliance (www.commongroundalliance.com), the 811 number (www.call811.com) and Digger’s Hotline of Nebraska (www.ne-diggers.com).

Common Ground Alliance represents a continuation of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s common ground study that highlighted the need for one organization to continuously update best practices among the growing underground utility industry. It was formed in 2000 to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure and ensure public safety and environmental protection.

The 811 number is a new, federally mandated national "Call Before You Dig" number created to protect the public from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. As a safety reminder to its customers, Black Hills Energy service vehicles now feature the 811 number on them.

Black Hills Energy serves 197,400 natural gas customers in 110 eastern Nebraska communities.

Black Hills Energy is part of Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) — a diversified energy company with a tradition of exemplary service and a vision to be the energy partner of choice — based in Rapid City, S.D. The company has other main offices in Golden, Colo., and Omaha, Neb. Black Hills Corp.’s regulated utilities serve 759,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. The company’s non-regulated businesses generate wholesale electricity, produce natural gas, oil and coal, and market energy. More information is available at www.blackhillscorp.com.

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