Dairyland Power outlines Maribel 765 kV line; Vernon County residents and supervisors press for route protections

Luke Fuller of Dairyland Power Cooperative and a GridAlliance representative described the proposed Maribel transmission project, a 765–161 kV double-circuit line extending from Marion, Minnesota, to Bell Center, Wisconsin, as part of MISO’s roughly 1,800-mile Traunch 2.1 backbone and said the package represents about a $21.8 billion investment and is expected online by 2034. Fuller and GridAlliance said Dairyland anticipates filing an application with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission later in the year and that public outreach — including open houses scheduled March 10 and March 12 — is underway.

Supervisors and residents pressed Dairyland officials on local impacts and the routing process. “We want to hear from landowners that want the line to move 100 feet further away from their house,” Fuller said, describing the company’s intention to work with affected landowners on tower placement while noting that route changes on the scale of hundreds of miles are not the same kind of adjustment. Supervisors asked whether the county could adopt a resolution opposing siting through Vernon County, whether the project would raise local utility bills, and whether alternate routes or environmental studies have ever led to wholesale route changes. Dairyland staff said the PSC has final permitting authority and that the company will propose a primary and an alternate route as part of a yearlong review that includes opportunities for public input.

Residents who identified themselves during Audience to Visitors voiced opposition to the project. Speakers including Michael Brown, Monica Matos, Sarah Bratnober and others cited environmental and health concerns, possible economic impacts, and questions about who benefits from increased capacity. Affected landowners including Alan Peterson and Tim Woodhouse said their direct questions to Dairyland had gone unanswered; Dairyland representatives said they would follow up.

Dairyland provided technical details for planning: structures’ footprints are likely in the range of 40-by-40 to 50-by-50 feet, towers would typically be spaced about 1,200 to 1,400 feet apart, and farming can continue up to the tower bases. Officials emphasized the PSC permitting process as the principal venue for route selection and noted defined participation avenues for counties and landowners.