Micron Breaks Ground on $100B NY Megafab, Heralding US Chip Revival

CLAY, NY – January 16, 2026 – With golden shovels turning the frozen earth, Micron Technology today officially broke ground on its monumental $100 billion semiconductor manufacturing complex in Onondaga County. The ceremony, attended by a host of dignitaries from the Trump Administration, New York State, and the titans of the tech industry, marks a pivotal moment in America's ambitious effort to reclaim its leadership in advanced manufacturing and secure its technological future.

The project, the largest private investment in New York's history, will see the construction of a megafab campus with up to four leading-edge memory fabrication plants, or "fabs." When complete, it will be the largest semiconductor facility in the United States, projected to create nearly 50,000 jobs and fundamentally reshape the economy of Central New York.

“Breaking ground at Micron’s New York megafab underscores our commitment to building leading‑edge memory at scale in the United States,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology, addressing the crowd. He expressed gratitude for the broad coalition of support, from President Trump to local officials, that made the project possible.

A National Strategy Realized

Today's groundbreaking is the most tangible result yet of a sweeping national industrial policy aimed at reshoring critical supply chains. The project is heavily underwritten by federal and state incentives, most notably the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, a bipartisan effort to pour over $52 billion into reviving domestic chip production.

Micron has secured a finalized agreement for $6.165 billion in direct federal funding from the CHIPS Act for its projects in New York and Idaho, with a substantial $4.6 billion of that subsidy earmarked for the Clay facility. This federal commitment is augmented by New York State's "Green CHIPS" program, which offers up to $5.5 billion in performance-based tax credits tied to job creation, investment, and sustainability targets.

Officials from the Trump Administration hailed the investment as a landmark achievement. “Today’s groundbreaking is more proof that American greatness is back," said Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. "Under President Trump, we’re done outsourcing our future and, instead, we’re building it right here at home."

The strategic importance of the facility cannot be overstated. Micron is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced memory, and this expansion is a direct response to global supply chain vulnerabilities exposed in recent years. The company's goal is to produce 40% of its high-end DRAM chips in the United States within the next decade, a dramatic shift that strengthens both economic and national security.

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin also highlighted the administration's role, stating, "The Trump EPA is proving environmental protection and economic growth is not a binary choice... EPA worked hand in hand with our Trump Administration partners to support fast, commonsense permitting."

Transforming Central New York

For a region that has seen decades of manufacturing decline, Micron's arrival represents a generational transformation. The promise of 50,000 jobs—including 9,000 high-paying direct Micron positions and over 40,000 more in the supply chain and community—is poised to create an economic renaissance.

"Micron breaking ground in Central New York marks the transition from promise to progress," declared New York Governor Kathy Hochul. "We are building opportunity for generations of New Yorkers." Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a key architect of the CHIPS Act, echoed the sentiment, calling it a "historic day for Syracuse, Upstate NY, and for all of America."

To manage this transformation, Micron has established a $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund in partnership with the state. The company is contributing $250 million, which will be directed toward critical community needs. This includes a $10 million investment in K-12 STEM programs, partnerships with local universities to build a skilled workforce pipeline, and the construction of an on-site childcare facility. The fund also aims to address infrastructure pressures by incentivizing public transit use and supporting affordable housing initiatives.

The path to groundbreaking involved navigating a complex regulatory landscape. The project underwent one of the most exhaustive environmental reviews in state history, culminating in a 20,000-page Environmental Impact Statement. In December 2025, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued nine key permits, which include strict conditions to protect wetlands and water quality, requiring Micron to fund six separate wetland mitigation projects to offset the facility's footprint.

Fueling the AI Revolution

The advanced memory chips produced in Clay will be the lifeblood of the next technological era, particularly the artificial intelligence revolution. High-performance DRAM is a foundational component for the powerful servers in data centers and the sophisticated AI models that are reshaping every industry.

The significance of this new domestic supply was underscored by a chorus of praise from the world's leading technology companies. "As AI transforms every industry, advanced memory has become essential," said Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA. "By bringing manufacturing to the U.S., Micron is strengthening America’s AI infrastructure and supply chain resilience."

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella noted, "We’re entering an era where AI is being built into every application and every workflow, and memory is foundational to delivering that intelligence." Similar endorsements came from the CEOs of Apple, Google Cloud, Meta, Dell, AWS, AMD, and Arm, all of whom rely on Micron's technology.

This investment also solidifies Micron's competitive standing. While facing stiff competition from South Korean giants Samsung and SK Hynix, Micron has been gaining market share. It has carved out a crucial niche in the high-demand High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market, prized for AI accelerators, where its latest HBM3E modules are noted for their superior power efficiency. The New York megafab will be instrumental in scaling production of these and future generations of memory, ensuring the U.S. has a domestic source for the components that will power tomorrow's innovations.

The Road to Production

While the ceremony marks a major milestone, the work is just beginning. The 1,400-acre White Pine Commerce Park will be a hive of activity for years to come. Early site preparation work began last year, and with today's groundbreaking, full-scale construction on the first of four fabs is set to commence.

The development will be phased over two decades. Micron anticipates the first fab will begin production in 2030, with a second fab coming online by 2029. The full four-fab campus is projected to be completed by 2041. Supporting this massive undertaking requires significant upgrades to local infrastructure, including new power substations from National Grid and expanded water and wastewater capacity managed by Onondaga County.

The project's long-term timeline reflects a deep commitment from both Micron and its government partners. As construction ramps up, Central New York will not just be building a factory; it will be building the foundation for a new chapter in American manufacturing and technological leadership.