A groundbreaking announcement Tuesday has set the stage for a transformative era in semiconductor development across Central and Western New York, with a new chip facility near Syracuse poised to significantly impact the regional economy.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has approved $6.1 billion in funding to support Micron’s ambitious plan to invest $100 billion in New York over the next two decades.

“About one-quarter of all chips made in America will be produced within a few miles from I-90, stretching from Buffalo to Albany through Rochester, Syracuse, and Utica,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.

BACKGROUND: Federal funding to make Rochester a part of an Upstate NY semiconductor hub | ‘Semiconductor superhighway’: Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region named federal tech hub

This funding will directly aid Micron in constructing two semiconductor fabrication plants near Syracuse in Clay.

“We need our chips,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said.. “As you know, they’re invested in everything from smartphones and cars to AI to the military. So, this bill also helps secure America militarily as well as economically, and it’s going to bring leading edge memory chip manufacturing back to the U.S.”

The award approval is part of a bipartisan CHIPS and Science Bill written by Schumer.

“I wrote it with two things in mind; one, making sure that America stayed number one in chips, and that no power could get in the way of our entire economy and send it crashing down by withholding these advanced chips,” said Schumer. “Second, I wrote it with upstate New York in mind. I had seen so many jobs, manufacturing jobs and others leave upstate and I knew that upstate would benefit, as long as we worked with them, and of course, that’s happened.”

Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra released a statement highlighting the company’s strategic position, which reads in part:

As the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory, Micron is uniquely positioned to bring leading-edge memory manufacturing to the U.S., strengthening the country’s technology leadership and fostering advanced innovation. Micron’s investments in domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, supported by the bipartisan CHIPS Act, will help drive economic growth and ensure that the U.S. remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

“It’s also going to span generations,” Schumer added. “People’s grandchildren will benefit from this investment, and the horrible thing we used to see of young people going to the airport, waving goodbye to mom and dad because they couldn’t find a job in Syracuse or Rochester or Buffalo or Albany or Utica or Binghamton, those days are ending.”

Locally, we’re already seeing an influence from Micron, including the construction of Edwards Vacuum in Genesee County, which makes critical technology needed for companies like micron to make semiconductors and computer chips.

BACKGROUND: Groundbreaking held for $300M semiconductor facility in Genesee County

Monroe Community College is also partnering to train workers in the semiconductor industry.

“The fact that we have gotten Rochester to be a tech hub, again happened in good part because Micron, Rochester is going to have all kinds of benefits and many of the supply chain people who are going to supply Micron are going to be in the Rochester-Finger Lakes area,” Schumer said.

Schumer said he wanted to make sure the commitment was granted before the next administration takes over. He claims no administration can roll back this agreement.

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