Biden Signs Building Chips in America Act, Easing Reviews for Chip Factories

Oct 2, 2024, 05:02 PM

President Joe Biden has signed legislation that exempts certain semiconductor manufacturing projects from strict federal environmental reviews. The new law, which has divided Democrats, aims to expedite the construction of semiconductor factories by weakening federal environmental regulations. After over a year of bipartisan negotiation, Senator Mark Kelly announced that his Building Chips in America Act has been signed into law. He stated that it will prevent unnecessary delays in construction and strengthen U.S. leadership in microchip manufacturing. The legislation creates a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) carveout for factories funded by the Chips Act, allowing some chip projects to bypass key environmental reviews.