SCHUMER PITCHES TO SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY CEOs ADVANTAGES OF GENESEE COUNTY STAMP SITE FOR NEW CHIP-FAB AHEAD OF ANNUAL SIA MEETING, SENATOR PROMOTES UPSTATE NY AS WORLD CENTER OF GROWING SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING

Today, in a letter to the Board of Directors of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), U.S. Senator Charles Schumer pitched Upstate New York as the international center for the growing semiconductor and chipfabrication industry. Schumer touted several upstate locales and specifically pointed to the newest potential megasite for chip fab, the Genesee County Science, Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP).  Schumer highlighted the development of Upstate New York's nanotech sites, underlining the many advantages offered by the Luther Forest Tech Campus, the Marcy Nanotech campus, and now the Genesee County STAMP site.  Schumer, who recently hosted the SIA at a Capitol Hill briefing with newlyelected Senators, urged the 18 Semiconductor Industry CEOs who comprise the SIA Board to consider Upstate New York sites, including STAMP when establishing their next semiconductor manufacturing and research facility, citing advantages like access to affordable power, and worldclass research universities and proximity to a large qualified workforce.

 

"The STAMP site will join existing hubs like the Luther Forest Tech Campus and Marcy Nanotech campus, and will become the second semiconductor megasite (1,250 acres) in New York State, bolstering the state's reputation as the preeminent destination for hightech semiconductor research, design, and development," said Schumer.  Schumer's letter to industry leaders was released in advance of the 2013 Annual Semiconductor Industry Association Dinner, to be held on  November 7 in San Jose California, when representatives from STAMP will make a presentation to the Board of Directors to outline the advantages of the site. Representatives of other New York centers, including Marcy and Luther Forest will also be present.

 

"Thanks to decades of joint publicprivate investments in infrastructure and education, and a talented workforce, Upstate New York is the number one place to establish semiconductor manufacturing in the nation," Schumer said. "The promise of the Genesee County STAMP site only adds to New York's reputation as fertile ground for hightech and, specifically, semiconductor manufacturing.  Simply put: the hightech manufacturing sector has the potential to remake Western New York and the entire Upstate economy, delivering a new generation of middleclass jobs.  It has already begun in the Capital District, is spreading to Utica, and is poised to takeoff in Western New York, too. Upstate New York's proximity to transportation and energy networks, its access to the creativity and large workforces of major metropolitan cities, and its worldclass technology and engineering universities are exactly what the semiconductor industry needs to ensure national and global success - and I made that known to the CEOs of the leading companies."

 

In his letter, Schumer highlighted the unique advantages various Upstate New York State sites, including Genesee County's STAMP site, provide to the semiconductor industry. The industry has benefited from the State's advanced transportation networks, industrial infrastructure, and utilities at its other leading semiconductor sites. Schumer explained that the STAMP site would continue with this trend, offering close access to Interstate90, highcapacity electric transmission lines, a largescale highpressure gas line, and the New York Power Authority's Hydropower lowcost electricity zone. These assets ensure that the semiconductor factory would receive robust utility capacity, redundancy, and reliability at competitive prices, in some cases at a 7580% market discount. The STAMP site is also situated between the Rochester and Buffalo metropolitan areas, which contain international airports, active customs stations, and a 2.1 million workforce population.

 

Last year, Schumer successfully advocated on behalf of STAMP by calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide necessary wetlands permit assurances so that STAMP's developers could advance the site's development and begin marketing the site to prospective tenants.  Schumer has also taken a lead advocacy role for the semiconductor industry in the 113 ^th Congress, which has led to the passage of major immigration reform legislation and a longterm reauthorization of the federal helium reserve, a critical lifeline for semiconductor manufacturers.

 

The growth of the semiconductor industry in Upstate New York has also been encouraged by the region's strong research and educational base. The State is home to some of the world's leading technology and engineering universities, including the University of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University at Buffalo, the University of Rochester, and Cornell University-all of which are spearheading efforts in research, commercialization, workforce development, and collaboration in the hightech and semiconductor fields.

 

Schumer called on the SIA companies to consider the advantages offered by the New York's hightech resources, and megasites like STAMP primed for development, when choosing the location of their next chip fab.  Schumer noted that the longterm development of the STAMP site would bring longlasting, stable jobs to New York and make the region a hub of hightech manufacturing.

 

A copy of the Senator's letter appears below:

 

Dear SIA Board Members,

 

I want to thank the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) board members for your recent visit to Washington D.C. to discuss issues critical to the growth of the industry.  I am pleased to report that one of the major items we discussed - reauthorization of the Federal Helium Reserve - has passed the Congress.  As you know, we also discussed the New York State semiconductor industry and strategies to encourage its expansion in Upstate New York.  Supported by joint publicprivate investments, New York State is now the preeminent location to grow nextgeneration semiconductor research and manufacturing.  I write today to specifically followup with you on those exciting opportunities as you convene the 18 CEOs of your board for its annual meeting.

 

I am pleased that you will host regional economic development officials from Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Utica at the board meeting. I have been working hard with the Department of Energy and the President's Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office to push new investments in semiconductor research and development in these regions, and have also worked to develop leading research and manufacturing sites like Luther Forest Tech campus, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) and Marcy Nanotech campus.  I am sure you will hear about the exciting new opportunities for growth at these existing locations during this meeting.

 

The SIA will also receive a presentation from the Genesee County Economic Development Corporation about a relatively new site that has enormous potential - the Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP), New York State's second "mega" site  at 1,250 acres.  This site is specifically designed for development of large scale semiconductor manufacturing and I hope your respective companies will also consider this as a potential location for nextgeneration semiconductor research and manufacturing facilities. STAMP offers exceptional cost and infrastructure advantages with proximity to transportation networks, industrial infrastructure and available lowcost power and water.  Located just five miles from I90, the site is traversed by highcapacity electric transmission lines and a largescale, highpressure gas line providing robust utility capacity, redundancy and reliability.  Notably, it is within the New York Power Authority's Niagara Hydropower lowcost electric zone, which provides electrical rates up to a 75 to 80 percent market discount.  Moreover, STAMP is situated between the Rochester and Buffalo major metropolitan centers offering easy access to international airports, active customs sites, and a 2.1 million workforce population making it yet another ideal mega site in Upstate New York. 

 

STAMP leverages the region's robust worldclass university centers like the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), Rochester Institute of Technology, University at Buffalo, University of Rochester, and Cornell University that are leaders in research, commercialization, workforce development, and collaboration.

 

I am certain that after the SIA Board of Director's briefing on STAMP this week you will agree that, along with Luther Forest and Marcy Nano, few sites across the global can compare with the constellation of assets and advantages offered to you in New York State.  The development of Luther Forest, Marcy Nano and STAMP are one of my top priorities; I will continue my efforts to advance each, and stand ready to assist any of your member companies to consider, and choose, Upstate New York as the site for their next megadevelopment.

 

Sincerely,

 

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator