Intel: Ohio Factory Could Be Scaled Down Due To Congress Failing To Pass Funding
Intel is urging Congress to pass federal funding for the US’s chip industry or else the company’s upcoming factory in Ohio will need to be scaled back.
On Thursday, the company made the statement as the fate of $52 billion in funding for the CHIPS Act(Opens in a new window) continues to stall in Congress. Intel has already committed an initial $20 billion to construct the Ohio facility, which could reach $100 billion in investment over time. But the site’s full “scope” is now in jeopardy, according to the company.
“As we said in our January announcement(Opens in a new window), the scope and pace of our expansion in Ohio will depend heavily on funding from the CHIPS Act,” Intel said in the statement. “Unfortunately, CHIPS Act funding has moved more slowly than we expected and we still don’t know when it will get done.”
The company added: “It is time for Congress to act so we can move forward at the speed and scale we have long envisioned for Ohio and our other projects to help restore US semiconductor manufacturing leadership and build a more resilient semiconductor supply chain.”
Intel also confirmed that it postponed a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ohio factory, which was originally scheduled for July 22nd. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report(Opens in a new window) the news, and noted Intel has decided to indefinitely delay the groundbreaking due to the uncertainty around the CHIPS Act.
A year ago, the US Senate passed $52 billion in funding for the CHIPS Act through a larger $250 billion bill. The money is meant to bolster the country’s domestic semiconductor manufacturing when the chip shortage continues to persist. But since then, the Senate has struggled to reconcile the funding with legislation
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