Black Hills Power Data Access Guide
Black Hills Power, Inc. (d/b/a Black Hills Energy / South Dakota Electric) is a regulated investor-owned electric utility serving about 77,500 customers around Rapid City, South Dakota. It offers robust online billing data with Excel/PDF export and up to two years of history, AMI-based interval data via portal and manual request, but no Green Button, API, or electric EDI.
How to Get Your Black Hills Power Data: All Access Methods
| Method | 1st Party | 3rd Party | Customer Types | Data Types | Latency | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Account billing export | ✓ | — | Residential & C&I | Billing, usage (kWh), charges | Real-time portal | Excel / PDF |
| Usage monitoring dashboard | ✓ | — | Residential & C&I | Daily/monthly usage graphics | Next-day | Portal view |
| Manual 15-min interval request | ✓ | ✓ | All (auth for third party) | 15-minute interval | 5-10 business days | CSV / Excel |
| Authorized third-party export | — | ✓ | C&I & residential | Billing, usage, payment | 3-5 business days | CSV / Excel |
| Green Button / API / electric EDI | — | — | None | Not available | N/A | Not available |
Billing Data Access
Black Hills Energy provides strong online billing access through its My Account portal. Customers can view current and historical bills and export billing data to Excel (.xlsx) or PDF at no charge, with up to two years of history. Third parties access billing data via a signed customer authorization (CSV/Excel), typically delivered in 3-5 business days.
What Data Is on Your Black Hills Power Bill
- Usage amounts (kWh)
- Rate class
- All charges (energy, delivery, taxes)
- Credits/adjustments
- Payment method and date
- Bill dates and due dates
How to Download Black Hills Power Bills (Business & Commercial)
- 01Go to https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/my-account/ and create a profile or log in (account number, email, service address)
- 02Open 'Billing' from the left navigation
- 03Click 'History' to view up to 24 months of statements
- 04Scroll to 'Export Billing Data', select start/end month and Excel or PDF
- 05Click 'Download' to retrieve the file
How to Download Black Hills Power Bills (Residential)
- 01Create or log into your account at https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/my-account/
- 02Open 'Billing' then 'Current Bill' or 'History'
- 03Use 'Export Billing Data' to download Excel or PDF
- 04Optionally enable Paperless Billing under Billing Settings
Third-Party Access to Black Hills Power Billing Data
Signed customer authorization (Release of Information)
- 01Provide the customer the Customer Authorization to Release Information form
- 02Customer completes account numbers, third-party org, scope, and authorization term
- 03Submit via email (custserv@blackhillscorp.com), fax (800-540-2486), or mail (P.O. Box 6006, Rapid City, SD 57709)
- 04Receive billing data in Excel/CSV, typically within 3-5 business days
Want to understand the charges on your bill?
See the Black Hills Power Rate Schedules & Tariff Guide →Interval Data & Smart Meters
Black Hills Power deployed approximately 68,800 AMI smart meters under an ARRA-funded Smart Grid project feeding a Siemens/eMeter EnergyIP MDMS. The portal shows graphical daily and monthly usage trends; detailed 15-minute interval data must be requested from customer service (5-10 business days) and is delivered in CSV/Excel. There is no self-service interval export or Green Button download.
How to Download Black Hills Power Interval Data via Green Button
Interval data is essential for rate comparison and TOU analysis.
See which Black Hills Power rate schedule is best for your usage pattern →Third-Party API Access
There is no public developer portal or API for Black Hills Power's South Dakota electric service. Third-party access operates through a formal signed-authorization framework established under SD PUC Docket EL15-013. Authorized third parties receive data exports (CSV/Excel) by email or portal, typically in 3-5 business days. Client advocates for low-income customers can use the separate Energy Help portal. Nectar provides API access to this utility's billing and interval data — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
How to Register as a Black Hills Power API Vendor
- 01Confirm the prospect is a Black Hills Energy customer (account number, service address)
- 02Have the customer complete and sign the Release of Information authorization
- 03Submit the signed form via email, fax, or mail
- 04Receive data exports (CSV/Excel); arrange recurring feeds or aggregator integration via business development
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Black Hills Power does not offer EDI for electric customers. South Dakota has no competitive retail electric market, so supplier-enrollment EDI (814/867/810) is not applicable. Black Hills Energy does run EDI for natural gas transportation customers in its gas territories via the GasTrack portal, but that is unrelated to South Dakota electric service.
How to Enroll in Black Hills Power EDI
Sources
Rate Schedules & Tariff Analysis
Black Hills Power C&I bills combine a service charge, a capacity/demand charge tied to billed kVA or kW, and tiered energy charges that decline with volume, plus a Cost Adjustment rider. For the verified General Service - Large schedule, capacity is the highest of the 15-minute peak kVA or 80% of the highest billing capacity in the prior 11 months (a demand ratchet), making peak/power-factor management the key cost lever. A general rate increase (Docket EL26-003) is pending.
Black Hills Power Rate Schedule List
| Schedule | Applicability |
|---|---|
| General Service | Commercial, one point of delivery |
| General Service - Total Electric | All-electric commercial |
| General Service - Large (GLC) | Large power, 125+ kVA |
| Industrial Contract Service | Large industrial under contract |
Black Hills Power Rate Features & TOU Details
- Service charge per service location
- Capacity charge per kVA of billing capacity
- Demand ratchet at 80% of prior 11-month peak (GS-Large)
- Tiered energy charges declining with volume
- Power-factor based billing capacity (GS-Large)
- Cost Adjustment rider applies
- Pending rate increase (EL26-003)
For a deeper analysis including cost optimization strategies and historical rate trends:
Read the full Black Hills Power Rate Optimization Guide →Other Data Access Programs
Energy Help (advocate access)
Program letting authorized agencies and client advocates access consumption and bill history, account balances, disconnect notices, and payment arrangements for low-income customers they represent.
- 01Agency completes the Energy Help Enrollment Form
- 02Receive credentials for energyhelp.blackhillsenergy.com
- 03Access authorized customers' consumption and bill history
Energy efficiency and usage monitoring
Efficiency programs and an online usage-monitoring dashboard that shows daily/monthly trends, peak-usage times, and savings recommendations based on AMI data.
- 01Log into My Account and open the Usage tab
- 02Review daily/monthly trends and peak-usage insights
- 03Apply efficiency recommendations and available rebates
Limitations & Considerations
- ⚠No Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data (ESPI/NAESB REQ.21).
- ⚠No public developer API, sandbox, or endpoints for SD electric.
- ⚠No EDI for electric customers (only gas transportation in gas territories).
- ⚠Self-service interval export not available; 15-minute data requires a manual request (5-10 business days).
- ⚠Third-party access requires signed authorization; no programmatic delegation.
- ⚠Billing history limited to ~24 months online.
Black Hills Power Data Access FAQ
Can a business export its Black Hills Power billing data?▾
Yes. In the My Account portal, open Billing then History, scroll to 'Export Billing Data', choose a start and end month, and download up to 24 months of data in Excel (.xlsx) or PDF at no charge. There is no Green Button or CSV self-service interval export.
How do I get 15-minute interval data?▾
Detailed 15-minute interval data is not self-service. Contact customer service (888-890-5554 / custserv@blackhillscorp.com) with your account number and date range; data is delivered in CSV/Excel, typically within 5-10 business days. Up to 13 months of interval history is retained in the MDMS.
What are the General Service - Large rates?▾
Per the filed GLC tariff sheet (effective Jan 1, 2019): a $105.00 service charge per service location; a capacity charge of $1,750.00 for the first 125 kVA plus $10.50 per additional kVA; and tiered energy at $0.03800/kWh (first 50,000), $0.03623/kWh (next 450,000), and $0.03199/kWh thereafter, with a Cost Adjustment rider. A general rate increase (Docket EL26-003, filed Feb 2026) is pending, so confirm current charges.
Can a C&I customer choose a competitive electric supplier?▾
No. South Dakota is a regulated, vertically-integrated market with no retail electric choice. Black Hills Power provides bundled service on tariffs filed with the SD PUC; C&I customers take service on published rate schedules.
How does a consultant access a customer's data?▾
Through a signed Customer Authorization to Release Information form (framework set in SD PUC Docket EL15-013). Submit it by email (custserv@blackhillscorp.com), fax (800-540-2486), or mail. Authorized billing exports arrive in about 3-5 business days; interval data takes 5-10. There is no API or portal delegation.
The Best Way to Access Data from Black Hills Power
Nectar connects to Black Hills Power and 7,000+ utility providers — billing, interval, and rate data delivered automatically. No portals, no forms, no manual downloads.
Nectar for Energy & Sustainability Teams
Managing utility data for commercial or industrial buildings? Nectar offers a free energy data audit — we'll review your current setup and show you where automation can save your team hours every month.
Get a Free AuditNectar for Developers & Consultants
Building energy tools or advising clients on utility data? Nectar works with technology partners and consultants who need reliable data infrastructure.
Partner with Us