Is a Data Center Coming

Rock County, WI

Viridian GM/JATCO Site Data Center (Janesville)

Viridian Acquisitions. Withdrawn, 800 MW

Viridian Acquisitions proposed an 8 billion dollar, 11 building, 800 megawatt data center campus on the city owned former GM/JATCO auto plant site, which closed in 2008. After a 4,000 signature petition and months of packed public meetings, the Janesville City Council voted unanimously in June 2026 to let its letter of intent with Viridian expire, ending the specific proposal. As of early October 2026 no new developer has stepped in at the site, but voters will still decide the November 3, 2026 referendum requiring a citywide vote before any future project over 450 million dollars can be approved on the site's undeveloped portions.

How far is it from you?

Free. Every site we track within 25 miles of your address, nearest first, with how far each one is.

Status
Withdrawn
Operator
Not disclosed
Applicant on record
Viridian Acquisitions
Location
1000 General Motors Drive, Janesville, WI, Rock County, WI
Size
800 MW, 250 acres
Cooling
Not reported
Utility
Alliant Energy
Next hearing
November 3, 2026, Janesville voters (referendum)
Last updated
October 12, 2026

What happens next

This proposal will not move forward as filed, but the land it was proposed on can be proposed again under a new project. See other stopped projects.

Sources

What it would mean nearby

The cooling design has not been reported. If it uses evaporative cooling, a 800 MW facility would draw roughly 2.5 million to 9.1 million gallons of water a day, about what 29,200 households use.

Meta says the contract means other Alliant customers will not pay for the energy used by its Beaver Dam data center, though consumer advocates say the secrecy around the deal makes that hard for the public to independently verify. Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power and Light) general rate case for 2026 and 2027 (docket 6680-UR-125) raised residential rates 5.4%, decided November 6, 2025: about $7 to $10 a month on a $160 bill. Transmission upgrades like this are typically billed to every electric customer in the state through transmission charges, not just to the data center that made the new line necessary, which is why the cost allocation question matters for ordinary bills even outside the four counties involved.

For how far this is from your own address, check it here. For what this site could mean for one street address, see the address report, $19.

Other tracked projects within 25 miles

Common questions

Where is the Viridian GM/JATCO Site data center?

It is in Janesville, Rock County, WI.

Has the Viridian GM/JATCO Site data center been approved?

No. The developer withdrew the proposal.

How big is the Viridian GM/JATCO Site data center?

Reported size: 800 MW, 250 acres.

When is the next public hearing?

November 3, 2026, Janesville voters (referendum).

Corrections and tips: use the address in the footer. We link every claim to its source.