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Benton County board sends formal opposition to Alliant Energy’s Morgan Valley Energy Plant
Summary
Supervisors voted to proceed with a letter of opposition to the proposed Alliant Energy Morgan Valley Energy Plant and authorized copies to be sent to the Atkins mayor and council, Linn County supervisors, Alliant Energy, and the Iowa Utilities Commission.
The Benton County Board of Supervisors agreed to proceed with a formal letter opposing Alliant Energy’s proposed Morgan Valley Energy Plant and to circulate copies to local officials and regulators.
A board member read a draft letter and moved that the county file the opposition with the Iowa Utilities Commission and other affected entities. The motion specified distribution to the Atkins mayor and council, the Linn County Board of Supervisors, Alliant Energy, and the Iowa Utilities Commission; the board voted to proceed and authorized staff to send copies. Supervisors discussed allowing a signature from an absent member before mailing.
Residents in public comment later urged the board to notify all towns in the plant’s impact area — including Newhall, Walford, Norway and Shellsburg — and to consider retaining outside counsel to explore additional ordinance or regulatory strategies, such as water‑use or other local restrictions that might affect siting or operations.
No formal legal challenge or ordinance was enacted at the meeting; the action taken was to file the letter of opposition and circulate copies to local officials and the utilities commission, per the motion the board approved.
