Biden to Sign Bill Easing Environmental Regs for Chip Manufacturing

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2024 – The microchip industry scored a major victory Monday as the House passed a bill loosening environmental regulations for federally funded chip manufacturing projects.

Despite opposition from environmental groups and objections from House Democratic leaders, President Joe Biden plans to sign the Building Chips in America Act, a White House official told POLITICO Tuesday. The official said the legislation “will allow us to continue our efforts to ensure Americans can benefit from the Investing in America agenda.”

The microchip industry for two years had been trying to dilute the environmental-impact rules attached to the Biden administration’s $39 billion CHIPS and Science Act. That law, passed in 2022, was an effort to boost American chip fabrication plants, U.S. job growth, and industrial capacity.