Viroqua Common Council adopts resolution opposing MariBell transmission line
The Viroqua Common Council unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the proposed MariBell high voltage transmission line, which is designed to meet future electricity demand, largely attributed to several massive data centers. Local opposition groups and multiple government entities, including Vernon County, are fighting the project, citing environmental concerns for the Driftless Area, threats to organic farms, and questionable economic benefits for ratepayers. Vernon County has hired legal counsel to formally intervene in state regulatory proceedings.
The Viroqua Common Council has unanimously adopted a formal resolution opposing the proposed MariBell high voltage transmission line project, joining a growing coalition of Driftless Area municipalities in Wisconsin fighting the massive electrical infrastructure. The city's resolution declares opposition to the 765 kilovolt transmission line, which developers Dairyland Power and GridLiance Heartland plan to construct from Marion, Minnesota, to Bell Center, Wisconsin, traversing rural properties throughout Vernon County. Opponents, including Michael Browne of No 765 Line Inc. and Tim Woodhouse of Coalition Against MariBell 765 Inc., warn that the project threatens the fragile Driftless Area ecology, local tourism, and soil integrity of organic farms, noting that the line's necessity is primarily driven by a forecasted 40% increase in electricity demand attributed to three specific data centers.
Project representatives from Dairyland Power and GridLiance Heartland defend the project as a critical upgrade for regional power grid reliability, arguing that a single larger line minimizes land use compared to multiple smaller lines. They emphasize environmental protection plans, including strict adherence to a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, use of heavy timber matting to prevent erosion, and specific measures for agricultural lands like winter construction to reduce soil damage. However, opponents contest the economic justification, citing MISO's Independent Market Monitor, Dr. David Patton, who warned that the project's high capital costs are based on flawed economic modeling that could burden ratepayers.
Opposition has steadily built, with the Vernon County Board of Supervisors, Crawford County, and several towns adopting similar opposition resolutions. Vernon County has hired Progressive Law Group LLC to formally intervene in the state regulatory proceedings before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Mayor Krista Browne and other local officials have voiced concerns about the use of eminent domain for a project perceived to offer no tangible local benefits, while potentially leaving ratepayers responsible for unnecessary costs if the projected data centers do not materialize.