Syracuse, N.Y. — Micron Technology’s plan to spend a $100 billion and hire 9,000 people for a massive chip plant complex in the town of Clay brings a natural question to mind for Central New Yorkers.
Why us?
Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra had answers during a news conference Tuesday at Syracuse University to announce the project. Here’s what he said:
- New York has a long history of semiconductor development and manufacturing. The state has been investing heavily in the space for years now and is already home to some big manufacturers in the field, including Global Foundries in the Capital Region and Wolfspeed, north of Utica.
- CNY has a rich pool of diverse talent, including communities underrepresented in technology jobs today. Diversifying its workforce is a current priority for Micron. Mehrotra also mentioned several times the number of veterans in the region. The company has found them well-suited for the type of precise, technical work it requires.
- The state provides strong partnerships with K-12 schools, community colleges and leading universities to ensure a pipeline of top engineering talent.
- Access to clean and reliable power and water.
- The region’s appeal to Micron employees. Mehrotra mentioned the area’s good schools, affordable cost of living and easy access to entertainment and recreation in urban settings and the outdoors as major selling points.
- Incentives. The project will benefit from billions in incentives and tax credits. They include $5.5 billion in state tax credits, a 49-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement with Onondaga County and the potential for a share of $52 billion in federal incentives set aside to entice chip manufacturers to build facilities in the U.S.
The Micron project, planned for the White Pine Commerce Park off Route 31, could ultimately include up to four separate chip plants. The work will roll out in phases over two decades.
The first component will be a $20 billion “mega-fab” that will employ 3,000 people. The site will begin production in the latter half of this decade.
Site preparation will begin next year, with construction starting in 2024.
READ MORE:
Micron picks Syracuse suburb for huge computer chip plant that would bring up to 9,000 jobs
Who is Micron? How the tech giant grew into world’s 4th-largest semiconductor maker
The decades-long chase to land a semiconductor giant near Syracuse (timeline)
Micron coming to Central New York: ‘Make no mistake. This is the future’
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