Tag Archives: CHIPS and Science Act

Biden Administration, Economic Development, Economic Policies, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, President Joe Biden

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Up To $8.5 Billion Preliminary Agreement with Intel under the CHIPS & Science Act

Funding catalyzes $100 billion in private investment from Intel to build and expand semiconductor facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon and create nearly 30,000 jobs. Here’s a fact sheet from the White House:

President Biden traveled to Chandler, Arizona, on March 20 to visit Intel’s Ocotillo campus and announce that the Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel to provide up to $8.5 billion in direct funding along with $11 billion in loans under the CHIPS and Science Act. The announcement will support the construction and expansion of Intel facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon, creating nearly 30,000 jobs and supporting tens of thousands of indirect jobs. During his visit to Arizona, President Biden will discuss the vision that he laid out in his State of the Union, underscoring how his Investing in America agenda is building an economy from the middle out and bottom up, creating good-paying jobs right here in America, strengthening U.S. supply chains, and protecting national security.

Semiconductors were invented in America and power everything from cell phones to electric vehicles, refrigerators, satellites, defense systems, and more. But today, the United States produces less than 10 percent of the world’s chips and none of the most advanced ones. Thanks to President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, that is changing. Companies have announced over $240 billion in investments to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States since the President took office. Semiconductor jobs are making a comeback. And thanks to CHIPS investments like the one today, America will produce roughly 20% of the world’s leading-edge chips by the end of the decade.

The announcement is critical to realizing President Biden’s vision to reestablish America’s leadership in chip manufacturing. In particular, this CHIPS investment will support Intel’s construction and expansion projects across four states and will create nearly 30,000 jobs:

  • Chandler, Arizona: Funding will help construct two leading-edge logic fabs and modernize one existing fab, significantly increasing manufacturing capacity to produce Intel’s most advanced semiconductors in the United States. This investment will create over 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and thousands of indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Arizona is among the largest private sector investments in the state’s history.
    • New Albany, Ohio: Funding will establish a new regional economic cluster for U.S. chipmaking with the construction of two leading-edge logic fabs. This investment will create 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and an estimated 10,000 indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Ohio is the largest private-sector investment in the state’s history.
       Rio Rancho, New Mexico: Funding will support the nearly complete modernization and transformation of two fabs into advanced packaging facilities, where chips are assembled together to boost their performance and reduce costs. Advanced packaging is critical for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and the next generation of semiconductor technology. It also allows manufacturers to improve performance and function and shorten the time it takes to get many advanced chips to market.  When completed, these facilities will be the largest for advanced packaging in the United States. This investment will create 700 manufacturing jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.
       
  • Hillsboro, Oregon: Funding will expand and modernize facilities to increase clean-room capacity and utilize advanced lithography equipment, further strengthening this critical innovation hub of leading-edge development and production in the United States. This investment will support several thousand new permanent and construction jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.
     

Creating Good-Paying and Union Jobs with Good Benefits Across America

President Biden promised to be the most pro-worker, pro-union President in American history, and his Administration has committed to ensuring that workers have the free and fair choice to join a union and equitable training pathways to good jobs. As part of the Administration’s effort to connect workers with good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda, the White House announced five initial Workforce Hubs across the country – two of which have focused on building pipelines to good jobs in the semiconductor industry: Phoenix, Arizona, and Columbus, Ohio. And, last year, the National Science Foundation and Intel announced $100 million to expand semiconductor workforce training opportunities, education, and research across the nation.

Under their preliminary agreement with the Department of Commerce, Intel has committed to work closely with workforce training providers (e.g., educational institutions, state and local agencies, labor unions) to develop and train workers for jobs created by the investment announced today. The Ohio State Building Trades signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Ohio construction site, and there is a majority-union construction crew in both the Arizona and Oregon sites. The Administration strongly supports workers’ right to organize and expects Intel to continue its longstanding tradition of creating good jobs and respecting workers’ rights, including expecting Intel to neither hold mandatory captive audience meetings nor hire anti-union consultants.

The announcement today also includes significant funding to train and develop the local workforce, including $50 million in dedicated CHIPS funding. The focus of this funding will be further determined in the coming months based on the Department of Commerce’s labor and workforce priorities in partnership with the Department of Labor. Those priorities include funding workforce intermediaries and labor-management partnerships, promoting inclusive and equitable training and hiring across the construction and facilities workforces, and providing supportive services, such as child care. Intel’s construction spending is contributing to union apprentice programs across all four sites—expected to amount to over $150 million in apprenticeship contributions. Additionally, Intel has committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for its workers across its facilities. Intel will be increasing the reimbursement amount and duration for its back-up care program, adding additional access to discounted primary child care providers, and expanding access to a vetted network of child care providers for its employees. In addition, Intel will pilot a primary child care reimbursement program for non-salary employees.
 

Strengthening Local Economies

Today’s announcement is also poised to strengthen the local economies of these states and cities, and is part of the President’s commitment to investing in all of America and leaving no community behind. Intel’s investments in Arizona and Ohio are among the largest private-sector investments in each state’s history, and Arizona has received the highest level of private sector manufacturing investment per capita of any state since the President took office. Intel’s investment in Arizona is expected to create tens of thousands of indirect jobs across suppliers and supporting industries – on top of the nearly 30,000 manufacturing and construction jobs it will create, fostering a more resilient semiconductor supply chain in the U.S.

In Arizona, Intel’s investments have grown the surrounding community, attracting opportunities for professional growth and upward economic mobility for everyone – from graphic designers to restaurants and small businesses. And in Ohio, Intel continues expanding their partnerships with local businesses to support their construction projects and operations at other facilities – growing from 150 Ohio-based suppliers in 2022 to over 350 today. 

Intel has also prioritized sustainability and being responsible stewards of the environment at its facilities. It currently uses 100% renewable electricity in its fabs and factories in the United States, and plans to achieve net-positive water and zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Building on Historic Progress Under the CHIPS and Science Act

Today’s announcement is the fourth and largest preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act:

  • In February 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $1.5 billion for GlobalFoundries to support the development and expansion of facilities in Malta, NY, and Burlington, VT.
    • In January 2024, the Administration announced $162 million for Microchip Technology Inc. to increase its production of microcontroller units and other specialty semiconductors, and to support the modernization and expansion of fabrication facilities in Colorado Springs, CO, and Gresham, OR. 
    • In December 2023, the Administration announced $35 million for BAE Systems Electronic Systems to support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, NH. This facility will produce chips that are essential to our national security, including for use in F-35 fighter jets.

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – including the CHIPS and Science Act – is spurring a manufacturing and clean energy boom. Since President Biden took office, companies have announced over $675 billion in private sector investments in manufacturing and clean energy, and over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects are underway. This announcement is part of the President’s broader commitment to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down, and invest in all of America. 

Biden Administration, Economic Development

FACT SHEET: One Year after Signing CHIPS and Science Act, Biden Marks Historic Progress in Bringing Semiconductor Supply Chains Home, Supporting Innovation, Protecting National Security

Companies have announced $166 billion in investments in semiconductors and electronics in the one year since President Biden signed CHIPS into law
 

President Joe Biden, on the year-anniversary of signing the CHIPS and Science Act, companies have announced over $166 billion to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. “These investments are creating jobs and opportunities in communities across the country – from Ohio to Arizona, Texas and New York. And, in the last year alone, at least 50 community colleges have announced new or expanded programs to help American workers access good-paying jobs in the semiconductor industry.”

One year ago, President Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), which makes a nearly $53 billion investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research and development, and workforce. The law also creates a 25 percent tax credit for capital investments in semiconductor manufacturing, and is helping to keep America at the forefront of innovation and technological development. Semiconductors were invented in the United States, but today we produce only about 10 percent of global supply—and none of the most advanced chips. Similarly, investments in research and development have fallen to less than 1 percent of GDP from 2 percent in the mid-1960s at the peak of the space race. The CHIPS and Science Act aims to change this by driving American competitiveness, making American supply chains more resilient, and supporting our national security and access to key technologies.
 
In the one year since CHIPS was signed into law, companies have announced over $166 billion in manufacturing in semiconductors and electronics, and at least 50 community colleges in 19 states have announced new or expanded programming to help American workers access good-paying jobs in the semiconductor industry. In total, since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, companies have announced over $231 billion in commitments in semiconductor and electronics investments in the United States. This week alone, the Department of Commerce announced the first round of grants under CHIPS to support the development of open and interoperable wireless networks, and the National Science Foundation and Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Defense announced progress toward establishing the National Semiconductor Technology Center, which will help advance America’s leadership in semiconductor research and development.

“One year ago today, I signed into law the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize American leadership in semiconductors, strengthen our supply chains, protect our national security, and advance American competitiveness,” President Biden stated. “America invented semiconductors – and today, they power everything from cell phones to cars to refrigerators. But over time, the United States went from producing nearly 40% of the world’s chips to just over 10%, making our economy vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions.

“The CHIPS and Science Act aims to change that.

“In the year since I signed this legislation into law, companies have announced over $166 billion to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. These investments are creating jobs and opportunities in communities across the country – from Ohio to Arizona, Texas and New York. And, in the last year alone, at least 50 community colleges have announced new or expanded programs to help American workers access good-paying jobs in the semiconductor industry. 

“The CHIPS and Science Act is a key part of my Bidenomics agenda to bring investment and opportunity to every corner of the country. Over the coming months, my Administration will continue to implement this historic law, make sure American union workers, small businesses, and families benefit from investments spurred by the CHIPS and Science Act, and make America once again a leader in semiconductor manufacturing and less dependent on other countries for our electronics or clean energy supply chains.”

One Year of Progress on Semiconductor Manufacturing and Innovation

Over the past year, agencies across the federal government have been developing and executing on programs established under CHIPS to encourage domestic semiconductor manufacturing, invest in research and development, and support supply chain resilience and workforce development. Key milestones in the Administration’s implementation of CHIPS include:

Supporting U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing

  • The Department of Commerce launched the first funding opportunity for the $39 billion in semiconductor manufacturing incentives provided in the Act just six months after CHIPS was passed. This funding opportunity covers funding for projects to construct, expand, or modernize facilities producing semiconductors and for projects that are making large investments in facilities to produce semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment. As the Department assesses applications, economic and national security considerations will be key factors and the program will, among other objectives, aim to provide a supply of secure, national-security relevant semiconductors.
  • Already, the Department of Commerce has received more than 460 statements of interest from companies for projects across 42 states interested in receiving CHIPS funding to invest across the semiconductor value chain from manufacturing to supply chains to commercial R&D.
  • The Department of Commerce has also stood up CHIPS for America, a team of more than 140 people working to support implementation of all aspects of the CHIPS incentives program.
  • The Department of the Treasury released a proposed rule in March 2023 to provide guidance on the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit, a 25% investment tax credit for companies engaged in semiconductor manufacturing and producing semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The Department of the Treasury also released a proposed rule in June 2023 to allow companies to receive the full amount of the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit as a direct payment from the Internal Revenue Service.
  • The Department of the Treasury released a proposed rule in March 2023 to provide guidance on implementing the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit to assist companies engaged in semiconductor manufacturing and producing semiconductor manufacturing equipment with a 25% tax credit.
     

Protecting National Security and Working with Allies and Partners

The Department of Commerce issued a proposed rule in March 2023 to implement the national security guardrails laid out in CHIPS. These guardrails are intended to prevent technology and innovation funded by the program from being misused by foreign countries of concern. The Department of the Treasury’s proposed rule in March 2023 implemented parallel guardrails for the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit.

  • The Department of State announced in March 2023 its plans for implementing the International Technology Security and Innovation Fund to support semiconductor supply chain security and diversification, as well as adoption of trustworthy and secure telecommunications networks. The State Department has already announced partnerships with Costa Rica, Panama, and the OECD to explore opportunities to collaborate on the global semiconductor supply chain.
  • The Department of Defense and Department of Commerce signed an agreement to expand their collaboration to make sure that CHIPS investments will position the United States to manufacture semiconductors essential to national security and defense programs.
  • As it implements CHIPS, the Department of Commerce has been in close touch with a number of partners and allies including the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, and the European Union. The United States is engaging with partners and allies to coordinate government incentive programs, build resilient cross-border semiconductor supply chains, promote knowledge exchange and collaboration in developing next-generation technologies, and implement safeguards to protect national security.
     

Creating Jobs and Workforce Pipelines for American Workers

  • The White House announced an initial set of five Workforce Hubs to create pipelines for Americans to access good-paying jobs in the semiconductor industry and other industries seeing an increase in investments driven by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – including CHIPS, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The White House also announced a national Workforce Sprint focused on creating pipelines into advanced manufacturing jobs, including in the semiconductor industry.
  • At least 50 community colleges have already announced new or expanded semiconductor workforce programs. In July, the White House launched its first Workforce Hub in Columbus, Ohio, where Columbus State Community College announced a new partnership with Intel which will create a new semiconductor technician credentialing course, available this fall.
  • The National Science Foundation is investing in the American semiconductor workforce through new initiatives focused on the manufacturing workforce, supporting researchers, and curriculum development. This includes partnerships with major semiconductor and technology companies.
  • According to Handshake, student applications to full-time jobs posted by semiconductor companies were up 79% in 2022-2023, compared to just 19% for other industries.
     

Investing in Innovation

  • The Department of Commerce is partnering with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation to establish the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), a critical part of the CHIPS research and development program that will support U.S. leadership in semiconductor innovation, cut down on the time and cost of commercializing new technologies, and develop the semiconductor workforce. The Department of Commerce has also outlined its strategy for the NSTC with respect to extending U.S. leadership in semiconductor innovation, reducing time to commercialization, and building a strong microelectronics workforce.
  • The Department of Commerce is also continuing to work on other parts of its $11 billion R&D funding including the metrology program, the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and up to three new Manufacturing USA Institutes.
  • The Department of Defense released a Request for Solutions for its Microelectronics Commons R&D program in December 2022. This program will support hardware prototyping, the transition of new technologies from lab-to-fab, and workforce training. Source selection is currently underway.
     

Supporting Regional Economic Development and Innovation

  • The Department of Commerce released a funding opportunity in May 2023 for Phase 1 of the $500 million Tech Hubs Program. This is an economic development program to develop centers of innovation across the country through support of regional manufacturing, commercialization, and deployment of key technologies.
  • The Department of Commerce released a funding opportunity in June 2023 for Phase 1 of the $200 million Recompete Pilot Program, an initiative to support economic opportunity and create good jobs in persistently distressed communities.  
  • The National Science Foundation established a new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships. This Directorate has already launched the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, which is helping to support innovation in geographies that have not received the full benefits of technology advancement in past decades. In May 2023, NSF announced 44 NSF Engines Development Awards spanning 46 U.S. states and territories, each funded at up to $1 million over two years to plan for a future NSF Engine. In August 2023, NSF announced 16 finalists for the inaugural set of NSF Engines awards, which are anticipated by the end of the year and will provide each NSF Engine with up to $160 million over up to 10 years.
     

Support Wireless Innovation and Security