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Spring Grove council seeks pause, asks for further review of MariBell transmission project
Summary
Spring Grove’s City Council unanimously approved Resolution 26-21 on March 5, 2026, requesting a temporary suspension of proceedings and further review of the proposed MariBell Transmission Line Project within one mile of the city, after members raised health, safety and land-use concerns.
Spring Grove’s City Council unanimously approved Resolution 26-21 on March 5, 2026, asking state regulators to temporarily suspend proceedings and allow further review of the proposed MariBell Transmission Line Project within one mile of the city.
The special meeting, called to order by Mayor Bryan Wilhelmson at noon, brought in in-person and remote representatives from Dairyland Power, GridLiance Heartland and NextEra Energy to discuss the project and a draft resolution. City Administrator Jana Elton raised concerns that the project’s expanded right-of-way could impede future city expansion in an area the city has targeted for growth.
Council members also questioned potential health and safety effects tied to high-voltage transmission lines, citing electromagnetic fields (EMFs), possible vibration and structural impacts such as cracking, and increased noise levels. According to the company representatives, the current right-of-way is about 80 feet and the proposed right-of-way would expand to roughly 125 feet on each side of the center line; the lowest transmission wire was described as likely about 84–87 feet above ground. Council members said some health-related concerns were not fully answered during the meeting.
Dairyland and GridLiance representatives provided project purpose materials and general information about EMFs and state-required setback measurements and compliance standards. They also noted the preliminary public comment deadline of March 9 and said additional comment opportunities would be available through the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) process and on the PUC website.
During the meeting, Council Member Trent Turner moved to approve Resolution 26-21; Council Member Eric Ostern seconded. "All members voted in favor," and the motion carried. The council’s recorded next step is for City Administrator Jana Elton to send a cover letter and the approved resolution to the appropriate recipients as the city’s official comment on the MariBell project.
The council scheduled its next regular meeting for March 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The special meeting adjourned at 1:11 p.m.
