SYRACUSE, New York — Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and Idaho Governor Brad Little are in Syracuse, NY with other elected officials and Micron executives for the announcement of President Biden's $6.1 billion CHIPS grant to Micron.
The grant would enable the Boise-based company to invest in DRAM fab (semiconductor fabrication) in Boise with a facility planned for co-location with Micron's research and development facilities.The grant stands as the single largest private investment in Idaho's history, securing Idaho as a key player in the semiconductor industry.
“I’m thrilled that our own home-grown company, Micron, will receive transformational funding through the CHIPS & Science Act and I thank President Biden for his leadership and commitment to growing American jobs and companies,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. “This CHIPS investment makes possible the once in a lifetime investment here in Boise and in Central New York. We look forward to the continued progress Micron makes through these federal investments in chip manufacturing, as Boise and Central New York become national and global hubs for memory technology.”
The City of Boise worked closely with partners ahead of the Micron expansion. The CHIPS grant will complement other investments into Boise's infrastructure and workforce development, including the Idaho LAUNCH program, the BSU Semiconductor for All program, and the $4.2 million grant into CWI's Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Program.
In an interview with our ABC partners at WSYR, in Syracuse, Mayor McLean discussed what the investment from the Biden administration means for Boise and Idaho overall.
"Well in Boise, they are both expanding R&D and expanding manufacturing, and I should say they're bringing manufacturing back home, right? For way too many years manufacturing has been happening offshore. With the CHIPS and Science Act and the investments they're making, it's coming home again. This is a big deal because it means, as I often say, the kids, the kindergartners in STEM Action Day at various schools around the city, they're coding, but it means that when they graduate they'll have the options for programs at our community college, in the trades, in the universities to then come home if they choose to, to come home and work on leading-edge memory manufacturing for years to come."
Governor Brad Little released a statement, saying, “Micron is already a leader for and from Idaho, but the latest commitments and funding mean that Micron will be a national and global leader for decades to come. Micron and the State of Idaho have a long-standing partnership, and I look forward to our continued cooperation as we pursue a shared goal of building opportunity for Idahoans through chip manufacturing.”
