U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno says he's confident in Intel's commitment to its massive computer chip foundry plant in New Albany a year after calling the company's top executive to the carpet over delays in the project.
In September, 2025, Moreno sent a letter to Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan demanding answers to Intel's derailed progress in building the chip plant, to ensure that the project doesn't become a "fraud" or "charade."
Asked by The Dispatch Sept. 3 if he ever got a response, Moreno said he didn't within the 10 days he had demanded. But he has since spoken regularly to Tan and is confident that progress at the $30 billion plant is happening.
"What I wanted to make clear is that they weren't just weren't going to come to Ohio and take a bunch of taxpayer
dollars to build a lot of expensive infrastructure that could have been used for other things to make the peoples' lives better here in central, but that they actually planned to fulfill their promises," Moreno said.
"Over the last year, I feel extraordinarily confident that they're 100% committed to getting that fab (chip fabrication plant) open and completing every single promise that they made."
"Does that mean it's going to happen? Absolutely not," Moreno said. "But do I feel much much more confident now than I did a year ago? Yes."
Intel had initially planned for its New Albany plant to be completed by last year. But inability to secure customers and other concerns have pushed completion to 2031.
Two months ago, Intel announced a preliminary deal to make computer chips for Apple products, according to national and local sources. It was important and positive news for the company whose fabrication operation in New Albany had been delayed by years because it could not find customers for its microchips.
Intel also is considering a partnership with SK Hynix, a South Korean company looking to use a portion of the New Albany operation to produce memory chips for its own customers.
Moreno strongly opposes tax breaks, especially for wealthy companies, including those building data centers. At a June Senate, he criticized the business model for businesses that ask for them.
He instead wants federal legislation that would tax at 100% any tax savings given locally for data center operations, essentially wiping out incentives.
Intel is in a somewhat different category, Moreno said, despite Ohio's incentive package worth over $2.1 billion to secure the company's "Ohio One" semiconductor campus. Intel already has received $600 million as a cash grant, and federal CHIPs Act money also has been used. The government also now owns 10% of Intel's common stock.
"We've taken an equity position in Intel, which has now made the taxpayer tens of billions of dollars." The government's investment of $8.9 billion of repurposed funding from the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has returned roughly $57.6 billion, as of July.
"The U.S. government has a vested interest in the outcome," Moreno said, noting the government's 10% equity holding of Intel stock. "I think that's a better approach than just a handout."
Growth and development reporter Dean Narciso can be reached at dnarciso@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Intel '100% committed' to getting New Albany fab completed, Moreno says
