About the Property

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a brownfield is a commercial or industrial property, abandoned, idle, or underutilized, where redevelopment, expansion, or reuse is complicated by environmental contamination. Brownfields can range from large former industrial sites to small unused gas stations and typically involve chemical, petroleum, or other hazardous substances that require investigation and cleanup before redevelopment can occur.

The 250-acre former General Motors Janesville Assembly Plant and its surrounding parcels qualify as a brownfield site. The plant ceased operations in 2008, and demolition was completed in 2019. In 2022, the DNR issued a closure letter accepting the remaining concrete foundations and asphalt as a protective cap over the underlying contaminated soil. With this cap in place, the DNR is no longer actively investigating the site, and the property has been granted case closure with continuing obligations.

Case closure does not indicate that contamination has been removed. Contaminants remain in the soil, and the cap is protective only for current conditions. Large areas of cracked pavement, rubble, and overgrown vegetation further complicate redevelopment efforts. Any future redevelopment requires excavation or disturbance of the cap and will trigger additional environmental review and remediation under DNR oversight.

Over the past five years, the site has been submitted to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Site Selectors for more than ten project leads in sectors such as technology, solar energy, manufacturing, and distribution, representing potential job creation ranging from 130 to 1,700 positions. While the site is attractive due to its size, location, power capacity, and rail access, it has not advanced beyond initial review for any of these opportunities. The primary barriers continue to be the time and financial challenges associated with remediating a large brownfield site.

City of Janesville to Host Series of Data Center Council Workshops

The City of Janesville will host a series of upcoming Council Workshops focused on key topics surrounding data center development. The informational sessions will be structured to provide the City Council and community members with information from subject matter experts from around the state.

Each workshop will begin at 5:15 p.m. in the Council Chambers, immediately before the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Sessions will include a 30-minute presentation, followed by 15 minutes for Councilmember questions.

The workshop schedule includes:

• Monday, February 9: Focus on Energy - Watch the Workshop on YouTube
• Monday, February 23: Economic and Tax Impacts - Watch the Workshop on YouTube
• Monday, March 9: Wisconsin Data Center Coalition
• Monday, March 23: Water Usage
• Monday, April 13: Labor, Education, and Jobs
• Monday, April 27: Brownfield Basics

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the informational sessions, which will be recorded and broadcast by JATV Media Services on Channel 994 and YouTube.

Recent public discussion has raised questions about the role of data centers in rising electricity prices. The following myths and facts summarize findings from independent analysis by the American Enterprise Institute and research from the Institute for Energy Research to provide additional context.

Myth: Data centers are the main cause of rising residential electricity bills.

Fact: Data centers are not the primary driver of rising electricity prices. Research shows that recent electricity price increases are largely explained by inflation, fuel price volatility, grid infrastructure spending, disaster mitigation, and state energy policies

Source: American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

Myth: Electricity prices are rising because data centers consume too much power.

Fact: While data centers are energy-intensive, evidence shows that higher electricity demand does not automatically lead to higher prices. In many cases, growing electricity sales help spread fixed grid costs across more customers, which can lower average prices. States with shrinking electricity demand have often experienced higher price increases.

Source: Institute for Energy Research (IER)

Myth: The price of electricity would be stable if not for AI and data center growth.

Fact: Electricity prices were already rising before large-scale AI deployment accelerated. Between 2019 and 2024, rates increased most sharply in states with aggressive renewable mandates, high transmission spending, and significant disaster-related costs. These trends were identified across the grid, regardless of data center concentration.

Source: Institute for Energy Research (IER)

Media Interviews

• Interview with Katie Myers
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview - November 26, 2025
• Park Place Views Featuring City Manager Kevin Lahner - December 2025
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview - January 7, 2026
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview with the Executive Director of the WI Datacenter Coalition
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview with City Manager Lahner and Coleman Peiffer
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview with Economic Development Director Jimsi Kuborn
• WCLO's Your Talk Show Interview - Data Center Discussions

Place Views Featuring Economic Development Director Jimsi Kuborn - January 2026