The Biden administration has announced a major investment in semiconductor manufacturing, with Micron set to receive up to $6.1 billion in grants to build new plants in New York and Idaho. This move is part of a larger effort to boost domestic production of vital semiconductors, which are used in everything from phones to cars to weapons systems.
Senator Chuck Schumer, who played a key role in passing the CHIPS Act, hailed the investment as “monumental” and said it would create thousands of jobs. Micron’s expansion plans include building two new chip manufacturing plants in New York and completing a plant under construction in Idaho by the end of the decade.
This announcement comes on the heels of other grants awarded to chipmakers like Samsung, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, and Intel, as part of the CHIPS Act initiative. The goal is to reduce the country’s dependence on overseas manufacturing for semiconductors, which currently make up only about 10 percent of global production.
Micron, based in Boise, is the last U.S. supplier of dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), a crucial component in computers and smartphones. The company’s CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra, has been leading efforts to increase U.S. production and secure government subsidies for expansion.
With this latest grant, Micron is poised to play a key role in strengthening the nation’s semiconductor industry and ensuring a stable supply of critical memory chips. The company’s investment is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs and help solidify America’s position as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
