Janesville’s City Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center development Monday night, temporarily stopping projects while the city considers how to address their potential impacts and benefits. The 7-0 vote does not rule out data centers permanently. It creates time for the city to study the issue and consider protections before development proceeds. Cathy Erdman, a spokesperson for the Snow Janesville Group, said reaching the vote took time. Asked what the moratorium would mean in the long term, she said, “To be honest, it’s too early to tell.” Council member Michael Cass said he hoped the pause would show residents that the council is focused on learning more and ensuring safeguards are in place. The debate extends beyond Janesville. Wisconsin is among 38 states that offer tax incentives to attract data center projects. A Legislative Fiscal Bureau report estimates those incentives could cost the state as much as $2 billion in forgone sales tax revenue. Data center projects may also generate public revenue, including taxes paid by construction workers, construction companies and utilities serving the facilities. Communities across Wisconsin and the country are weighing those potential economic gains against the costs and local effects of hosting data centers. Janesville’s moratorium is set to last one year, after which the broader debate over whether and under what conditions the facilities may be built could resume.