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La Crosse power company employees report uptick in death threats. August 28, 2026 Get Its Email Newsletter The companies, people and issues shaping business in Madison and the Capital Region. Employees of Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse say they have been subjected to death threats over the company's proposed MariBell power line, according to a report in the La Crosse Tribune The company, which is in a public comment phase of the project, said its employees have been subject to an uptick of violent threats online, and in one case, a property owner pulled a gun on employees working on existing power lines. Dairyland Power has not yet submitted its proposal for the large-capacity MariBell line to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Under the current routing plan, the 140-mile MariBell line would be built next to existing lines from Marion, Minnesota to Bell Center, Wisconsin, and eventually connect to the proposed BECI line.

Dairyland Power Cooperative: Dairyland Power's 2026 annual meeting. >> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop. LA CROSSE, WI - Dairyland Power Cooperative's 2026 Annual Meeting was held today at the La Crosse Center. Mark Kingland, Chair of the Board and Director representing Heartland Power Cooperative, presided over the meeting. The theme of the meeting was Building the Bridge: Past to Present to Future, reflective of how Dairyland is building on its 85-year legacy to navigate the current energy landscape while investing in a resilient future. It represents Dairyland's commitment to delivering safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity to its members - guided by the Strategic Priorities of Safe Outcomes, Financial Strength, Organizational Development, Reliability, Member Satisfaction and Environmental Stewardship. Dairyland President and CEO Brent Ridge highlighted Dairyland's strong trajectory under Board guidance. "From sustained safety performance improvements to rate stability, generational infrastructure projects and strategic asset optimization, Dairyland will continue to build on this year's successes while advocating for the communities we serve." Ridge underscored that long-term planning, cost discipline and innovation will enable Dairyland to meet obligations in its four-state service territory as the cooperative nears its centennial milestone. "Sustainability as a critical services provider requires a steadfast focus on safety and accountability, with a growth mindset." North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) Senior Vice President, Strategy and External Engagement, Camilo Serna provided the keynote address and Reliability Outlook. "The pace of change across the electric grid is accelerating and complexity is increasing, and with that comes new reliability and security risks," said Serna. "Ensuring dependable service across the Upper Midwest and the grid as a whole will require proactive planning and investment to safeguard reliability." Dairyland Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (EVP & CFO) April Wehling provided a 2025 Financial Report: "Dairyland Power Cooperative continues to uphold its Vision as a premier member-driven cooperative. Maintaining top-quartile wholesale rate competitiveness remains a core strategy set by our Board of Directors. Total margins for the year were $25.3 million, which reflects stable financial performance in a dynamic market environment. "As of 2025, Dairyland's member equity represents 22.7% of total assets. This strong equity position places us solidly within the range of "A" rated Generation and Transmission Cooperatives, ensuring continued financial stability and member confidence. "Dairyland's commitment to returning value to our members remains steadfast. In 2025, our Board of Directors approved capital credit retirements totaling $5.7 million, continuing our legacy of delivering tangible benefits to our Class A member cooperatives and reflecting one of the core advantages of the cooperative business model. Since our founding, Dairyland has returned $165.8 million in capital credits to our members. "Dairyland continues to maintain strong credit ratings. Standard & Poor's rates Dairyland at 'A+' with a stable outlook. Moody's rates Dairyland at 'A3' with a positive outlook - a notable improvement from the previous 'stable' outlook. These ratings reflect confidence in our financial strength and strategic direction," said Wehling. The Annual Meeting, which was live-streamed for employees and members who were unable to attend, included a Q&A session with Executive Team members, recognition of award recipients and an Energy Expo with educational booths. About Dairyland Power Cooperative: Headquartered in La Crosse, Wis., Dairyland provides the wholesale electrical requirements for 24 distribution cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities. These cooperatives and municipals, in turn, supply the energy needs of approximately 800,000 people in the four-state service area. Dairyland delivers electricity over 3,700 miles of transmission lines and 400 distribution substations located throughout the system's 44,500 square mile service area. Visit www.DairylandPower.com.

Vernon County continues to explore options to join legal fight against proposed transmission line. 27 minutes ago April 9, 2026 By TIM HUNDT VERNON COUNTY, Wis. - Vernon County officials are actively exploring a joint legal defense with neighboring counties to fight a massive high voltage transmission line proposed to cut through the Driftless region. The Vernon County General Government Committee used its April 1 meeting to hear updates from the county attorney on the feasibility of pooling resources with Crawford and Richland counties to hire expert legal counsel. The discussion builds on momentum from the March 19 Vernon County Board of Supervisors meeting where the full board unanimously passed resolutions formally opposing the 765 kilovolt project known as the Maribell line. The project is being developed by Dairyland Power Cooperative and NextEra Transmission. Because local governments cannot simply pass an ordinance banning the utility project county officials are preparing to formally intervene in the upcoming Public Service Commission hearings. During the April 1 meeting Corporation Counsel Nikki Swayne updated the committee on her progress reaching out to neighboring legal counsels about retaining an expert attorney to represent their shared interests. Swayne reported that she had contacted both Crawford and Richland counties to pitch the idea of an initial joint consultation. "I have reached out to them and one has confirmed that they will talk with their county and circle back to me," said Swayne. "The other has not gotten back to me yet but I expect probably will relatively soon". Swayne warned the committee that while a joint legal effort makes financial sense it could complicate matters if the Public Service Commission approves a route that benefits one county while heavily burdening another. Swayne explained that if the interests of the counties diverge they would need to sign conflict waivers or potentially hire separate legal representation down the road. "Where that could become concerning theoretically is if say there is a route that Vernon County sees that the Commission may approve that would narrow the impact on Vernon County but enhance the impact on a neighboring county," said Swayne. "Then that is going to be the kind of conflict where we are not going to have the same attorney representatives for purposes of an initial consultation". Supervisor Wayde Lawler shared that he had recently spoken with a local resident who has extensive experience dealing with utility interventions and learned that the counties face specific legal limitations on how they can file their opposition. "The three counties would not be able to officially intervene as one unit," said Lawler. "We would need to do so as legal entities". Despite the requirement to file as separate entities Lawler argued that sharing the consultation process and appearing before the state regulators together would send a powerful message that the region stands united against the utility developers. "If the three counties were to intervene officially that would be rather unprecedented in the state before the PSC and in a good way," said Lawler. "That would be a significant demonstration of public will in opposition to the project". Swayne confirmed that while they cannot legally join together to qualify for intervener status it does not prevent the counties from being highly productive by joining forces outside of the formal filings. General Government Committee Chair Alycann Taylor fully supported the aggressive multi-layered approach to fighting the transmission lines. The push to intervene formally stems from discussions held during the March 4 General Government Committee meeting. During that prior meeting Swayne advised the committee that filing public comments is often the least impactful way to influence the Public Service Commission. Swayne strongly recommended that the county file a motion to intervene to gain standing as an official party to the case. "File a formal request after the application is submitted and this case is created with the Commission," said Swayne. "When you do that you become a party to this action that gives you a lot of ability that you do not otherwise have". Swayne noted during the March 4 meeting that intervening allows the county to file sworn testimony, engage expert witnesses and demand that developers produce documents through the legal discovery process. The General Government Committee agreed to keep the potential joint legal venture on their future agendas as Swayne waits to hear back from the neighboring county attorneys regarding their willingness to share the costs of the legal consultation. Oh, hi there. 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