Vernon County hires outside law firm to oppose MariBell transmission line project

Aug. 19, 2026

In Vernon County the legal battle over the proposed MariBell transmission line is entering a critical new phase, as Vernon County moves forward with specialized legal counsel following a summer of major administrative and legal transition.

The Latest from the General Government Committee

During the August 5, 2026, Vernon County General Government Committee meeting, newly appointed Corporation Counsel Brian Weber and Administrative Coordinator Nate Torres provided a crucial update on the county’s efforts to mount a formal defense. Weber reported that he and Torres had met with an “expert in the field” of utility regulation to assess the legal avenues available.

Later in the meeting, the committee voted to enter into a closed session to confer with legal counsel regarding the MariBell line and the Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. Upon reconvening in open session, the committee took decisive action, voting unanimously to approve an agreement for specialized legal services with Progressive Law Group LLC. This firm is expected to represent the county’s interests as a formal intervener in the state’s regulatory proceedings.

How the Legal Fight Began

The proposed MariBell line is a double-circuit transmission system planned to run from Marion, Minnesota, to Bell Center, Wisconsin, crossing the Mississippi River near Genoa. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) assigned the western leg of the project to Dairyland Power Cooperative and NextEra Transmission, while Transource Energy is slated to construct the eastern segment extending to the Columbia substation near Portage.

The massive scale of the project—featuring 200-foot-tall steel towers cutting through the fragile Driftless Area—sparked immediate, intense opposition from local landowners and environmental advocates. In March 2026, the Vernon County Board of Supervisors took a unified stand, unanimously passing Resolutions 2026-17 and 2026-18 to demand technical information from the developers, alongside Resolution 2026-19, which formally declared the county’s opposition to the project.

However, local officials quickly recognized that these local resolutions lacked the legal “teeth” to stop the line. The ultimate authority to approve or deny the project lies with the three appointed commissioners of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) through the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) process.

To have a real impact, Vernon County realized it must seek formal intervenor status, which grants full party status to submit expert testimony, conduct discovery, and cross-examine utility witnesses. To offset the substantial costs of hiring specialized utility lawyers, former Corporation Counsel Nikki Swayne reached out to Richland and Crawford counties to explore a joint legal consultation. While Richland County declined to participate, Crawford County expressed strong interest in collaborating on a shared defense.

Transition of County Attorneys Delays Progress

Despite early momentum, the county’s legal timeline suffered a setback due to an unprecedented double-transition in county leadership.

In late April 2026, Nikki Swayne issued her resignation as the contracted Corporation Counsel, effective late July. This decision followed a tense political debate after the General Government Committee rejected a proposal to transition her contracted role into a full-time, in-house county position. Simultaneously, Cassandra Hanan resigned from her post as Administrative Coordinator.

The county board eventually hired Johns Flaherty & Collins to take over legal services, with Brian Weber assuming the lead role on July 1, 2026. Meanwhile, Nate Torres officially stepped in as the new administrative coordinator on June 23, 2026.

This simultaneous transition meant that both the county’s chief administrator and its lead legal counsel were onboarding at the same time. Casework transition meetings were held in late June, and while Swayne provided a transitional memo, the shifting of hands naturally put the Maribell file into a temporary holding pattern. Swayne had previously placed active coordinate planning with Crawford County in “standby mode” pending the arrival of the new administration.

With the onboarding process now complete and the recent committee vote to hire Progressive Law Group LLC, Vernon County is finally positioned to resume its coordinated legal strategy to defend the Driftless Area before the PSC.

Area Resolutions of Outright Opposition

• Vernon County, WI: Adopted Resolution 2026-19 on March 19, 2026, formally and unequivocally opposing the high-voltage transmission line in the Driftless Area due to erodible soils, threats to organic farming, Amish communities, and tourism.
• Crawford County, WI: Adopted a formal resolution opposing the construction of the line on June 16, 2026.
• Houston County, MN: The Board of Commissioners formally adopted a resolution opposing the transmission facility entirely in February 2026, stating that developers must first conclusively demonstrate that the 765 kV line is the least impactful alternative.
• Town of Wheatland (Vernon County, WI): Adopted an outright opposition resolution on March 11, 2026.
• Town of Genoa (Vernon County, WI): Adopted an outright opposition resolution on April 21, 2026.
• Township of Freeman (Crawford County, WI): Adopted an outright opposition resolution on April 27, 2026.
• Town of Haney (Crawford County, WI): Formally adopted and sent a letter opposing the transmission line on December 8, 2025.
• Town of Sterling (Vernon County, WI): Adopted Resolution 2026-1 opposing the line on June 18, 2026.
• Town of Seneca (Crawford County, WI): Adopted Resolution 2026-02 opposing the line on July 15, 2026.
• Village of Ferryville (Crawford County, WI): Adopted Resolution 2026-07 opposing the line on July 15, 2026.

Information-Request & Siting Transparency Resolutions

These resolutions do not take an official stance on the project itself, but establish legally backed written demands for maps, environmental data, and economic impacts to create a formal paper trail before applications are filed.

• Vernon County, WI: Separately adopted Resolutions 2026-17 and 2026-18 on March 19, 2026, directing information requests to the developers of both proposed dockets.
• Crawford County, WI: Unanimously adopted a resolution on February 17, 2026, requesting answers to 18 specific document requests—such as routing preferences and electric bill impacts—by March 15, 2026.
• Richland County, WI: Unanimously adopted Resolution 26-7 on March 17, 2026, demanding in-depth economic and geographic data from the developers.
• Town of Harmony (Vernon County, WI): Passed an information-request resolution on April 25, 2026.
• Town of Forest (Richland County, WI): Passed Resolution R 2025-01 on December 19, 2025, formally requesting detailed route maps and impact statements.
• Town of Webster (Vernon County, WI): Adopted an information-request resolution on October 21, 2025, after supervisors expressed frustration about a lack of communication from developers.
• Kickapoo Valley Reserve (Vernon County, WI): Passed an information-request resolution on November 20, 2025, highlighting concerns about corona discharge noise and hazards to migratory birds.

Member-Owned Cooperative Resolutions

• Vernon Electric Cooperative: At its 90th annual meeting on February 26, 2026, a majority of the 185 member-owners present approved an advisory resolution demanding Dairyland Power Cooperative provide clearer answers regarding project necessity and ratepayer billing impacts.
• Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperative: Members voted unanimously on April 11, 2026, to adopt an advisory resolution requesting that Dairyland and GridLiance provide high-resolution digital maps, elevation renderings, and noise/EMF mitigation studies.