Marathon County board asks Alliant Energy for proposal on Hub City wind project; resolution passes
October 02, 2026 | Marathon County, Wisconsin
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The Marathon County Board of Supervisors voted to approve Resolution 55-26 on Oct. 1, directing Alliant Energy to submit a substantive proposal regarding the Hub City wind project for county review by about Nov. 1. The motion was offered by Supervisor Robinson and carried, though the chair announced it was not a unanimous vote.
Supervisor Robinson, the resolution’s author, said the measure is intended to "learn what Alliant Energy's response is to the concerns that have been raised and how they would go about addressing those." He emphasized the board is not committing to a joint developer agreement (JDA) by asking for a draft contract: "We're not agreeing to a JDA. We're not agreeing to anything," Robinson said, describing the step as a way to determine whether Alliant’s terms would address decommissioning, setbacks, emergency response, property-value and health concerns.
County staff presented a table of response options — negotiating a JDA, intervening in Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings, pursuing a moratorium, or appealing a PSC certificate after issuance — and provided preliminary cost estimates for each approach. Administrator Leonard told the board the Nov. 1 timing is intended to give Alliant about a month to prepare a proposal and for staff and leadership to schedule a properly noticed review meeting.
Opposition to using JDAs surfaced during debate. Supervisor Dickinson said the process has trended toward a predetermined outcome and stated he would not vote for a JDA. Legal counsel cautioned that any JDA would be a binding contract between the county (or municipality) and Alliant and "would not have any restrictions on any citizen's ability to seek redress," but said specific rights and remedies depend on contract language.
The chair announced the motion carried and the board moved on to announcements. The transcript records only that the motion carried and notes it was not unanimous; no full roll-call tally appears in the transcript.
Supervisor Robinson, the resolution’s author, said the measure is intended to "learn what Alliant Energy's response is to the concerns that have been raised and how they would go about addressing those." He emphasized the board is not committing to a joint developer agreement (JDA) by asking for a draft contract: "We're not agreeing to a JDA. We're not agreeing to anything," Robinson said, describing the step as a way to determine whether Alliant’s terms would address decommissioning, setbacks, emergency response, property-value and health concerns.
County staff presented a table of response options — negotiating a JDA, intervening in Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings, pursuing a moratorium, or appealing a PSC certificate after issuance — and provided preliminary cost estimates for each approach. Administrator Leonard told the board the Nov. 1 timing is intended to give Alliant about a month to prepare a proposal and for staff and leadership to schedule a properly noticed review meeting.
Opposition to using JDAs surfaced during debate. Supervisor Dickinson said the process has trended toward a predetermined outcome and stated he would not vote for a JDA. Legal counsel cautioned that any JDA would be a binding contract between the county (or municipality) and Alliant and "would not have any restrictions on any citizen's ability to seek redress," but said specific rights and remedies depend on contract language.
The chair announced the motion carried and the board moved on to announcements. The transcript records only that the motion carried and notes it was not unanimous; no full roll-call tally appears in the transcript.
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