ESSE JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) – GlobalFoundries’ Vermont operations in Essex Junction are poised to benefit from multimillion-dollar investment and new jobs made possible by the federal CHIPS Act.
“For our region — New York, Vermont — this is a really exciting time,” said Kirk Dombrowski with the University of Vermont. “It’s largely an infrastructure piece to try and take some of the foundries like our foundry — Fab 9 — that been around for a while and do a lot of upgrading.”
“I believe that this latest CHIPS Act grant is going to create another generation of brilliant scientists that love living in Vermont, raise families in Vermont,” said UVM’s Doug Merrill.
The 2022 law is aimed at bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. “The CHIPS Act is really about trying to regain that STEM edge, really like the old moon shot,” Dombrowski said.
The investment in Essex will upgrade the existing plant, expand capacity, and create the first U.S. facility capable of high-volume manufacturing of gallium nitride semiconductors for use in power grids, data centers, smartphones, and electric vehicles.
“Electric vehicles, battery charging, and a number of things we really value in Vermont are going to be driven by this technology,” Dombrowski said.
Local businesses in Essex Junction were pleased to hear the news. At McGillicuddy’s Pub, Sabrina Springer says they regularly see employees from GlobalFoundries stop in for a bite and that news of the investment is something they welcome. “It’s a very good thing that’s wonderful that they are staying. It helps everyone out and no one is losing their jobs either,” she said.
Officials from GlobalFoundries are expected to talk more about the investment, joining Governor Phil Scott at a press conference on Wednesday.
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