Schumer touts benefits of CHIPS bill in Clay

Could the empty field that is the White Pine site in Clay be one day buzzing with not just bees, but a semiconductor plant?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer certainly hopes so.

"We have the opportunity to be one of the world's centers of chip manufacturing," Schumer said.

The chips are used in cars, phones and equipment. Schumer said more manufacturing plants could come to Upstate New York — from Albany to Buffalo — if the president signs the CHIPS and Science Bill into law.

"We don't want to just attract one chip fab. We want to attract many. Right here in Central New York is the Marcy Nanocenter, and that's going to be transformational. And we have between Rochester and Buffalo, the STAMP site in Batavia," Schumer said.

The bipartisan bill includes $39 billion for federal incentives to build, expand or modernize facilities and equipment for semiconductor fabrication, testing or research and development. It also includes an investment tax credit for semiconductor manufacturing facilities, $10 billion for regional technology hubs and $200 million to help develop a workforce with a goal to ensure the U.S. doesn't have to rely on other countries for the critical technology.

"From an economic standpoint, this is an absolute no-brainer. From a national security standpoint, this is absolutely positively critical," said Rep. John Katko.

Federal, state and local leaders said the White Pine site is a great fit for a new facility. It's a large area with access to water, and is located across the street from a National Grid substation.

"We've got such a central point and the New York grid behind us, and it has everything that such a plant could need from capacity, power quality and energy needs," said New York Electric National Grid Chief Operating Officer Brian Gemmell.

The bill also includes $1.5 billion to invest in 5G technologies.

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