Janesville leaders considering data center proposals for old GM plant

JANESVILLE, Wis. (WMDX) – As officials consider a data center in DeForest, they’re doing the same in Rock County. 

Janesville city leaders are talking about the potential for a data center at the site of the old GM plant. It has 4.8 million square feet of space, and was in operation for almost 90 years. The city took ownership of the property earlier this year. 

Now, city leaders are considering two proposals for a data center there from company Viridian. The city council will consider proposals at their meeting Monday, Nov. 10. 

The project would cost $8 billion, and Viridian would need 800 megawatts of power to run the center. 

City manager Kevin Lahner said if the project is approved, it could bring a billion dollars in tax revenue to the city. He said that would give Janesville so many more options to pay its bills, and provide services to residents. 

However, even Lahner isn’t totally sold. 

“There are lots of things that people are concerned about, and rightly so. I mean, I have to tell you, I am too. At my core values, I am an environmentalist. I have been one my whole life,” Lahner said at a question & answer session Tuesday, November 4. “I am as skeptical as many of you are. I’m not trying to change your mind, I’m just trying to share what my experience and data suggests to me.” 

Lahner was at a question & answer session Tuesday, Nov. 4. Video shows there may have been 200 people or more who attended. 

Both of these plans, in DeForest and in Janesville, are just proposals for now. They would have to go through the municipal approval process before becoming final.