ESSEX JUNCTION, VT – Today, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Representative Becca Balint, and staff representatives for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined Vermont Governor Phil Scott, former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), GlobalFoundries (GF) CEO Dr. Thomas Caulfield, and community leaders to celebrate the hundreds of millions of CHIPS and Science Act funding that will support the modernization of GF’s longest continuously operated fabrication plant and the nation’s first and largest Trusted 200mm facility in Essex Junction.
“Vermont is powered by Gallium Nitride technologies, used in everything from our phones to power grids to electric vehicles. The $125 million federal award made possible by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act represents a generational investment in Vermont jobs and U.S.-made chips,” said Sen. Peter Welch. “GlobalFoundries and the Fab 9 team have made Vermont a leader in semiconductor innovation and development, and they’ve shown the nation and the world that the Vermont Way works. Their commitment to sustainability and use of carbon-free energy practices are leading the way for other manufacturers. The ripple effect of this exciting development has already begun to spark innovation within the greater community and will be an economic driver for years to come.”
“There is no doubt that there is a global shortage in microchips and semiconductors which is making it harder for manufacturers to produce the cars, cellphones, and electronic equipment that we need,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders. “This federal investment will bring valuable support to help this industry succeed in Vermont by supporting innovations in development, manufacturing, and production. It will also create good-paying jobs for hundreds of Vermonters, and bring in apprenticeship programs to teach the next generation. I applaud Senator Leahy, Governor Scott, my fellow Congressional Delegation members, GlobalFoundries, and the Biden-Harris administration for all their work to bring this funding to Vermont. I look forward to seeing all the good it will do for Vermont workers and our communities.”
“The historic CHIPS and Science Act unleashed the full potential of domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and Vermont will the lead the nation in chips production,” said Rep. Becca Balint. “Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, this transformative investment will lead to the modernization of Global Foundries’ longest continuously operated fab, right here in Vermont. Our state will be home to the first U.S. facility capable of high-volume manufacturing of next-generation GaN semiconductors. Vermonters continue to lead our country’s innovation economy, and I am thrilled to celebrate this monumental investment from the Biden administration today.”
“The CHIPS Act funding will help the U.S. stay on the cutting edge and I’m proud our small state will play such a big role on the global stage as a result,” said Governor Scott. “GlobalFoundries will be at the forefront of innovation in GaN technology, strengthening our economy, supporting good jobs and increasing our national security. I want to thank the Biden Administration, Secretary Raimondo, former Senator Leahy, and our Congressional delegation for making this possible, and the full team at Fab 9 who will see it through.”
“When I think of the award that GlobalFoundries received from the funding authorized by the 2022CHIPS Act…it was an important milestone. And the reason I wanted to see it pass was that I looked at Essex Junction and all the people I’ve known, through generations, who have worked here, and what they’ve done, and the need for keeping them here, and restoring U.S. manufacturing,” said former Senator Patrick Leahy. “I worked with the team in Essex who wanted to fund this research. They wanted to fund it here. Why? Because we have men and women of all generations who are the best of the best. These semiconductors will be mass produced in Essex. As you know, they supply our electric vehicles and power grids in Vermont…We have always on these things left our political labels at the door and we come together and say we are Vermonters, and Vermonters can do it better. And darn it, we will.”
Read more about the event here.
Last week, the Biden-Harris administration announced the Department of Commerce and GlobalFoundries signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) providing GF approximately $1.5 billion in funds authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which was passed in 2022. The funds will expand capacity and create jobs across three projects at GF, including the revitalization of the Burlington fabrication facility, a leader in creating next-generation Gallium Nitride on Silicon for national security and consumer uses including electric vehicles, the power grid, 5G and 6G smartphones and more.
Sen. Welch helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act as a member of the House of Representatives. In his capacity as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Welch has stressed the importance of continuing to build on the successes of the CHIPS and Science Act to incentivize the development and manufacturing of semiconductor technology in Vermont and across the United States.
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act included landmark investments to support domestic semiconductor and chip manufacturing research and development; bolster the STEM workforce; strengthen our 21st century security, tech defense, and wireless supply chains; and advance innovation in the advanced manufacturing industry. For more information on the impact of the CHIPS and Science Act and the CHIPS for America program, please click here.
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