When Intel broke ground in Licking County less than three years ago, the chipmaker said it could be online by 2025, but that aggressive plan for its eventual central Ohio plants is pushing later again.
Intel announced the timeline adjustment in a Friday statement, pushing the date to finish one fabrication plant to 2030 and the second 鈥渇ab鈥 to 2031. Neither will come online until at least 2031, according to Intel.
鈥淚n no way does this diminish our long-term commitment to Ohio. We have already started hiring Ohioans who are training at our fabs in Arizona, New Mexico and Oregon,鈥 Intel鈥檚 statement read. 鈥淚ntel is proud to call Ohio home, and we remain excited about our future here.鈥
Ohio executives and business leaders remain rather confident in Intel, despite numerous delays in construction.
Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine, said Friday the administration was 鈥渄isappointed鈥 by the later date.
鈥淭he company has continued to tell the state the fabs will be completed and produce chips. This is a construction delay. The project is moving forward,鈥 Tierney said over text.
Matt Englehart, a spokesperson for JobsOhio, said Intel鈥檚 broader commitment 鈥渞emains unchanged,鈥 regardless of the market realities. The powerful and private pursues economic projects on the state鈥檚 behalf.
鈥淲e are a flexible partner with the ability to work alongside Intel as it moves the project forward on its adjusted timeline, placing Ohio at the center of cutting-edge semiconductor production that is essential to American national economic security and national defense,鈥 Englehart鈥檚 statement read.
The state has already disbursed $600 million in onshoring grants to the tech giant for its central Ohio venture. Intel is in the process of constructing sizeable computer chip fabrication plants in Licking County, which will amount to a pledged $20 billion investment when it鈥檚 done.
The Ohio Department of Development awarded Intel those onshoring grants, and set 2028 as the deadline for when it needs to meet its job and investment commitments to the state, according to contract documents.
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