Last fall, at the November 18 Houston County Commission meeting, commissioners heard from Dairyland Power Cooperative Manager Clay DeWitt, GridLiance Heartland S. Director of Development Jessica Hewitt, and GridLiance Heartland Project Director Josh Daubenspeck regarding the MariBell 765/161 kV transmission project.
Open houses to discuss the proposed Gopher to Badger Link Transmission Line Project – which passes through Houston and Fillmore counties were held in early 2026 in Preston, Mabel and Caledonia.
Since those meetings when residents did not get answers to their questions, concerned citizens banded together and created an informal ad hoc group, NO765MN, with the goal of getting answers from Dairyland Power and stopping the 765 kV transmission line from going through Houston County.
On Saturday morning, April 11, a room full of concerned citizens met at Elsie’s in Caledonia for an update regarding the Certificate of Need which was submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). According to the website NO765MN.com, the group is “a coalition of Southeast Minnesota farmers, landowners, and residents standing together against the proposed Gopher to Badger 765 kV transmission line.”
Attendees from Pine Island, Rochester, Harmony, LeRoy, Viola, Houston County, and Spring Grove attended the organizational meeting. It was noted more than once that the group is growing every week.
Houston County farmer Kyle Johnson introduced attorney Carol Overland of Overland Law Office/Legalectric, based in Red Wing, who serves as counsel for NO765MN. She will be helping the group navigate the PUC system and intervene in the situation.
She attended the MPUC meeting held on Thursday, April 9, noting that the Certificate of Needs application was declared complete and that the process was “fairly straightforward.”
Overland explained, “We’ve got little wins, and we didn’t have any losses, so that’s good.”
The routing application is due in October, giving NO765MN time to collect data. Overland referred to this time as a pause period. Overland emphasized throughout the meeting the importance of taking advantage of this time before the routing application is submitted this fall.
The difference between the two tracks: the Certificate of Need and routing. In routing, you can bring up many issues – primarily environmental issues. In the Certificate of Need, the focus is on whether the project is needed, what it costs, and whether there are system alternatives, emphasizing that you can bring up system alternatives only in the Certificate of Need process. Overland stressed the importance of having a contested case, system alternative, and the route.
Ideally, Overland said, it would be good if the line could be routed underground.
A “highway rider” line was suggested by MPUC commissioner Joseph Sullivan after the MPCU meeting, which would really help the folks in Fillmore and Houston counties.
A petition to intervene has been submitted. Overland explained that it has been stayed until the route comes in.
She noted that you cannot talk to the MPUC directly because they are the deciders, but you can talk to the Department of Commerce which does the environmental and economic analysis. Once the application for routing comes in it will take at least a year and three months.
Overland emphasized the importance of making sure you have the correct information and facts.
In attendance was Houston County Commissioner Cindy Wright, who stated that in February, the board approved Resolution 26-08, officially opposing the proposed 765 kV “Gopher to Badger Link” (MariBell) transmission project. The resolution outlines the concerns expressed by residents, landowners, and agricultural producers: potential human health impacts, EMF exposure, audible noise and corona effects, stray voltage, agricultural land fragmentation and loss of productivity, potential loss of homes and farms, property value depreciation, visual and aesthetic impacts to the Blufflands landscape, wildlife and livestock impacts, tourism impacts, eminent domain concerns, road damage and construction impacts, adequacy of public engagement and transparency, and demonstrable, direct benefits to Houston County residents.
Johnson and Tom Hammell of Caledonia suggested forming committees such as environmental impact, media, finance, lobbying, and administrative.
The group announced that it has a Facebook page, an informational website with a list of resources, and an email list that you can sign up for on the website to keep updated.
A GoFundMe account and a bank account have been set up to cover costs such as legal representation, expert testimony, outreach materials, and public education. The link to the GoFundMe account can be found on the website.
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