Notes Payable Notes Payable (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Line of Credit Facility

Schedule of Short-term Debt

We had the following short-term debt outstanding at the Consolidated Balance Sheets date (in thousands):

	Balance Outstanding at
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Revolving Credit Facility	$	82,500	$	127,000
Corporate Term Loan due June 2013	—		150,000
Total	$	82,500	$	277,000

Deferred Financing Costs [Table Text Block]

Our deferred financing costs and associated amortization expense included in Interest expense on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income were as follows (in thousands):

	Deferred Financing Costs Remaining in Other Assets, Non-current on Balance Sheets at		Amortization Expense for the years ended Dec. 31,
	Dec. 31, 2013		2013		2012		2011
Senior unsecured notes due 2023	$	6,846	$	86	$	—	$	—
Senior unsecured notes due 2014	$	—	$	635	$	462	$	462
Senior unsecured notes due 2020	$	1,093	$	167	$	167	$	167
First mortgage bonds due 2032	$	618	$	33	$	33	$	33
First mortgage bonds due 2039	$	1,961	$	76	$	76	$	76
First mortgage bonds due 2037	$	736	$	31	$	31	$	31
Black Hills Wyoming project financing due 2016 (a)	$	—	$	3,177	$	1,037	$	1,012
Other	$	664	$	57	$	57	$	70

Schedule of Credit Facility Covenants

Our Revolving Credit Facility and our new Term Loan require compliance with the following financial covenant at the end of each quarter:

	At Dec. 31, 2013		Covenant Requirement
Recourse leverage ratio	55	%	Less than	65	%

Revolving Credit Facility [Member]

Line of Credit Facility

Deferred Financing Costs [Table Text Block]

The deferred financing costs on the new facility are being amortized as follows (in thousands):

	Deferred Financing Costs Remaining on Balance Sheets as of		Amortization Expense for the years ended Dec. 31,
	Dec. 31, 2013		2013		2012		2011
Revolving Credit Facility	$	1,316	$	752	$	2,187	$	1,891