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A town hall will take place at Clay Town Hall on Monday to discuss Micron Technology’s $100 billion investment in a new facility around 15 miles north of Syracuse in Clay, New York.

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon will hold the town hall, which is set to begin at 6 p.m. It will be the first in a series held to increase community involvement and engagement with respect to the new facility, CNY Central reported.

“I have committed to making sure that every corner of every neighborhood, village, and town feels the tremendously positive impact that Micron’s investment will have for Onondaga County and Central York,” McMahon told CNY Central. “Critical to that effort is ensuring we engage directly with the community to share exactly what this investment means and also hear what thoughts and ideas they have as we welcome Micron to our community.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed on Twitter Friday that President Joe Biden is set to visit Syracuse this Thursday to engage with the community about the “massive impact” the facility will have on central New York.

In a media statement following the announcement, Biden called the company’s decision to invest in central New York “another win for America.” When he signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law in August, the White House recognized the legislation’s progress in bolstering the United States’s leadership in semiconductor, or microchip, manufacturing.

$100 billion. Nearly 50,000 jobs.

With @MicronTech coming to Central New York, we've made it clear: The future of American manufacturing is right here in New York.

Looking forward to welcoming @POTUS back next week to see the massive impact Micron will have on our communities! https://t.co/QFbGpPwiiZ

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 21, 2022

The act, which Schumer championed, aims to increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing via incentives including $24 billion in tax credits for industry investments.

In a floor speech preceding the final senate vote on the legislation in July, Schumer said the investment in the semiconductor chip industry has the ability to “reawaken” the nation’s leadership in discovery and innovation.

“For much of the twentieth century, America was without peer in our commitment to scientific research, to innovation, to manufacturing, new cutting-edge manufacturing. It led to tens of millions of good-paying jobs and made the US the unquestioned economic leader of the world,” Schumer said. “Today the story is different: nations around the world are spending tens of billions of dollars to secure this century much like America secured the last one. With this bill, that is finally going to change.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) visited Syracuse on Oct. 18 to vocalize his support for promoting the use of domestically manufactured semiconductors, like those set to be produced at the Micron facility in Clay, in place of those manufactured in China by government-connected companies.

Schumer said a provision of the proposed National Defense Authorization Act would both bolster national security and help boost demand for chips made in the United States.

“It’s simple: if you want the federal government to buy your products or services, you can’t be using the kind of Chinese-made chips that put our national security at risk,” Schumer said in a press release.

Days after Micron’s announcement, Clay Town Supervisor Damian Ulatowski told Eagle News that the town expects thousands of people to move in and live in Clay with the new factory.

“We want to make sure that we … put our best foot forward with welcoming Micron,” Ulatowski said.

Published on October 24, 2022 at 1:43 am

Contact Jana: jlseal@syr.edu | @JanaLoSeal