Black
Hills Corporation Signs Confidentiality Agreement
With NorthWestern Corporation
For Information Contact:
Mark T. Thies, Executive
Vice President; Dale
T. Jahr, Director, Investor Relations
RAPID CITY, SD—February 7, 2006—Black
Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH) announced today that it had
entered into a confidentiality agreement with NorthWestern
Corporation (Nasdaq: NWEC).
ABOUT BLACK HILLS CORPORATION
Black Hills Corporation is a diversified energy company.
Black Hills Energy, the wholesale energy business unit,
generates electricity, produces natural gas, oil and coal,
and markets energy.
Our retail businesses are Black Hills Power, an electric
utility serving western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming
and southeastern Montana; and Cheyenne Light, Fuel &
Power, an electric and gas distribution utility serving
the Cheyenne, Wyoming vicinity. More information is available
at our Internet web site: www.blackhillscorp.com.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Investors and securityholders are urged to read the disclosure
documents regarding the proposed merger when they become
available because they will contain important information.
Investors and securityholders will be able to obtain a free
copy of such disclosure documents when they become available,
as well as other filings containing information about Black
Hills and NorthWestern, without charge, at the SEC’s
internet site (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the disclosure
documents and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated
by reference in such disclosure documents can also be obtained
without charge, when they become available, by directing
a request to Shareholder Relations, Black Hills Corporation,
P.O. Box 1400, Rapid City, SD 57709, Telephone Number: (605)
721-1700.
The directors and executive officers of Black
Hills may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation
of proxies from Black Hills shareholders and NorthWestern
stockholders in respect of the proposed merger. Information
regarding the directors and executive officers of Black
Hills is currently available in its proxy statement filed
with the SEC by Black Hills on April 15, 2005. Other information
regarding the participants in such proxy solicitation and
a description of their direct and indirect interests, by
security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the
disclosure documents and other relevant materials that will
be filed by Black Hills with the SEC when they become available.
