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The facility will add 800 jobs, officials said. It will also use a lot of water.

| Updated: 3:07 p.m.

Lehi • The tech manufacturer Texas Instruments broke ground Thursday on its second semiconductor fabrication plant in Lehi — an $11 billion facility expected to create more than 800 jobs, the company’s president said.

At Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony, TI President and CEO Haviv Ilan said, “we take an important step in our company’s journey to expand our manufacturing footprint in the United States and build the capacity our customers will need for decades to come.”

In addition to the expected 800 jobs, Ilan said the plant would create “thousands” of indirect jobs.

Gov. Spencer Cox, speaking at the event, called the plant the “greatest single economic investment in Utah history.”

The state of Utah has offered the Dallas-based manufacturer a post-performance tax credit of up to 30% of tax income generated over the next 20 years, or up to $34.5 million, according to the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity database.

TI’s expansion includes a $9 million investment into the Alpine School District, to develop a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program and “community” in K-12 schools. The investment will enhance STEM programming taught in classrooms and provide “STEM-oriented professional development” for teachers and administrators, Ilan said.

Shane Farnsworth, the superintendent of the Alpine School District, said TI’s investment is the largest in district history, and will “benefit tens of thousands of students and educators for years to come, and this community for generations.”

Cox said the investment in schools showed that Texas Instruments “understands the ethos of Utah,” which is to help companies thrive so that they can “give back and make the community a better place.”

“Even though your name says Texas, and even though you’ve only been here for two years, you’re acting a lot like a Utah company,” Cox said.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Trevor Bee explains the semiconductor fabrication process at Texas Instruments' facility in Lehi on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.

The semiconductor “fab” will manufacture chips for such devices as computers, thermostats and cars.

Domestic production is good for the economy and for national security, Cox said.

“It’s about supply chains,” Cox said, “and bringing supply chains back to the United States, away from our adversaries who want to do us harm, giving us more control over the future and making sure that the future of prosperity is very bright here in the United States, in North America, and especially right here in Utah.”

Last year, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, to increase the production, research and development of semiconductors in the United States. The bill passed with bipartisan votes in both houses — though the only member of Utah’s all-Republican delegation to vote in favor of it was Sen. Mitt Romney.

Semiconductor production requires a lot of water — millions of dollars’ worth a day, by some estimates, to keep semiconductor components clean. Semiconductors’ heavy reliance on water has contributed to nationwide shortages and drawn criticism from people concerned about the impact of manufacturing on the water supply.

Utah continues to battle historic drought conditions, but Cox said in February he thought Utah had the water infrastructure to support the facility. The new fab will recycle water at nearly twice the rate of the current facility, Ilan said, though the company did not say how much water the fab is expected to use or discard.

The new facility will be powered by renewable energy, Ilan said, making it one of TI’s most “environmentally efficient” plants.

Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson, in a prerecorded video, said he is excited about the “economic opportunity” TI’s expansion will bring to the city. The move helps put Lehi oh the map, he added, as a “tech-savvy, forward-thinking community.”

The partnership between TI and Lehi, Johnson said, “signifies a commitment to advancing technology, research and development.”

Shannon Sollitt is a Report for America corps member covering business accountability and sustainability for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.

LEHI, Utah, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) (Nasdaq: TXN) today broke ground on its new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant (or "fab") in Lehi, Utah. Joined by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state and local elected officials, as well as community leaders, TI President and Chief Executive Officer Haviv Ilan celebrated the first steps toward construction of the new fab, LFAB2, which will connect to the company's existing 300-mm wafer fab in Lehi. Once completed, TI's two Utah fabs will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips every day at full production.

"Today we take an important step in our company's journey to expand our manufacturing footprint in Utah. This new fab is part of our long-term, 300-mm manufacturing roadmap to build the capacity our customers will need for decades to come," said Ilan. "At TI, our passion is to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. We are proud to be a growing member of the Utah community, and to manufacture analog and embedded processing semiconductors that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system today."

In February, TI announced its $11 billion investment in Utah, marking the largest economic investment in state history. LFAB2 will create approximately 800 additional TI jobs as well as thousands of indirect jobs, with first production available as early as 2026.

"TI's growing manufacturing presence in Utah will be transformative for our state, creating hundreds of good-paying jobs for Utahns to manufacture critically important technology," said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. "We are proud that semiconductors – made in Utah by Utahns – will power the innovation that is foundational to our country's economic and national security."

Building stronger communities

As part of TI's commitment to education, the company will invest $9 million dollars in the Alpine School District to develop the state's first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning community for all students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. The multiyear program will embed STEM concepts more deeply into coursework for the district's 85,000 students and provide STEM-oriented professional development for its teachers and administrators. The district-wide program will equip students with essential STEM skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving to succeed after graduation.

"We are excited this partnership will help our students develop essential knowledge and skills, preparing them for success in life and possible careers in the technology sector," said Alpine School District Superintendent, Dr. Shane Farnsworth. "Working together with the city of Lehi, Texas Instruments, and our schools, this collaborative investment will impact students and their families for many generations to come."

Building sustainably

TI has a long-standing commitment to responsible, sustainable manufacturing. LFAB2 will be one of the company's most environmentally efficient wafer fabs, designed to meet one of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system's highest levels of structural efficiency and sustainability: LEED Gold version 4.

LFAB2 has a goal to be powered by 100% renewable electricity, and advanced 300-mm equipment and processes in Lehi will further reduce waste, water and energy consumption. In fact, LFAB2 is expected to recycle water at nearly twice the rate of TI's existing fab in Lehi.

Building the next era of semiconductor manufacturing

LFAB2 will complement TI's existing 300-mm wafer fabs, which include LFAB1 (Lehi, Utah), DMOS6 (Dallas), and RFAB1 and RFAB2 (both in Richardson, Texas). TI is also building four new 300-mm wafer fabs in Sherman, Texas (SM1, SM2, SM3 and SM4), with production from the first fab as early as 2025.

TI's manufacturing expansions, with anticipated support from the CHIPS and Science Act, will provide reliable supply of analog and embedded processing products. These investments in manufacturing and technology illustrate the company's commitment to long-term capacity planning.

Learn more about TI in Utah:

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures, tests and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, personal electronics, communications equipment and enterprise systems. Our passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors is alive today, as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology smaller, more efficient, more reliable and more affordable – making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. We think of this as Engineering Progress. It's what we do and have been doing for decades. Learn more at TI.com.

TXN-G

SOURCE Texas Instruments

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

LEHI — The Lehi Planning Commission is recommending an off-shore freeway on the north side of Utah Lake as an option for solving traffic in the area.

A lot of people use Pioneer Crossing to get from Utah Valley to Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain and the commission is recommending an off-shore freeway be considered as an option. Its recommendation will go to the Utah Department of Transportation for consideration along with other alternatives determined from an environmental impact study.

Lehi traffic engineer Luke Seegmiller explained in a Thursday commission meeting that the plans are just concepts, indicating a need for transportation improvements.

Seegmiller said having the off-shore freeway on the master transportation plan gives residents an opportunity to provide input on the issue before the environmental impact study is completed. Commissioners urge the public to share feedback with UDOT, as well as state representatives and senators.

UDOT recently completed a corridor study of Pioneer Crossing, which evaluated whether the road can handle the future growth of the nearby cities that use it daily. The study discussed recent improvements made on the road with traffic signal timing, but acknowledged the road is "over capacity" for a five-lane through road.

Pioneer Crossing is built for 35,000 trips a day, but is experiencing up to 58,000 trips a day. "We are double the traffic that should be on that road," Seegmiller said.

The population is projected to double in Lehi and Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, combined, are estimated to quadruple in population over the next few decades, so the traffic issue is only going to become exponentially worse, he said.

"We need two Pioneer Crossings. If the population quadruples, we have eight Pioneer Crossings needed," Seegmiller added.

The corridor study offered potential solutions like making Pioneer Crossing a six- or eight-lane freeway with proposed interchanges at 2300 West and Center Street. This would directly impact around 60 residents and dozens of businesses located in the area of the proposed road expansion. Another option is a Pony Express Parkway extension that would connect with 1900 South.

Working with UDOT to manage neighboring cities' traffic increases the quality of life for Lehi residents, Seegmiller said.

Most of the proposed off-shore freeway would actually be located in Saratoga Springs, not Lehi, though the proposed location is not set in stone, he said.

Almost every public comment during Thursday's commission meeting mentioned environmental concerns about the off-shore freeway, along with other issues.

Lehi City Council candidate Michelle Stallings voiced worry about the environmental impact the freeway would have being so close to the mouth of the Jordan River, and how it could be affected by flooding.

Gabe Lifferth, president of the Utah Valley Aeromodelers club, said there is a model airplane airport located along the Jordan River, close to the proposed roadway. He voiced safety concerns with having the airport so close to a freeway and hopes the freeway will not ruin people's ability to participate in model airplane activities.

Jeremy Howlett lives in a small Saratoga Springs community along the north shore of the lake. He said he did not want the recommendation to go through because the freeway would ruin the views, wildlife and quietness of the area that drew him and others to move there.

"This is not the right option. The only way to curb numbers is public transit. Why is public transportation not in this conversation?" he asked. Instead of just "continually congesting" the roads with cars, Howlett said there needs to be public transit options that are sustainable in the long term.

Todd Robbins agreed, saying the city should become less reliant on cars and focus more on making communities walkable and accessible to public transit.

The commission said the Utah Transit Authority participated in the corridor study and has decided that by 2050, there will not be enough demand in Cedar Valley and Saratoga Springs area for public transit. A bus route could be implemented, but a TRAX system is not anticipated in future plans.

Those in favor of the freeway argued the area needs more transportation options and the freeway is a trade-off the city has to take.

One commission member said the discussion is an attempt to be proactive on the issue and to "have all options on the table" moving forward. Any traffic solution would have impacts on Lehi residents, which is why having the environmental study evaluate every option is so crucial, he said.

The commission discussed other places around the country that have used renowned engineers to create roads in environmentally sensitive areas and said it is possible to accomplish the same feat here.

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

LEHI — Texas Instruments on Thursday broke ground on its new $11 billion, 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in northern Utah County.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the plant "the greatest single economic investment in the history of our state" — creating around 800 new, high-paying jobs and thousands of indirect jobs in Lehi.

"Utah has a strong network of community partners in addition to great people and great talents, all of which makes it a great place for TI to continue to invest," said Haviv Ilan, president and CEO of Texas Instruments. "We believe strong companies build strong communities, and strong communities build strong companies. TI has found a great partner in this community, and we look forward to the work we will do together in the future."

The latest plant will add to the production of Texas Instruments' existing 300-mm wafer fabrication plant in Lehi. Together, the two plants will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips found in items like phones, computers, cars and home appliances every single day.

"This is more than just new jobs and more than just creating some chips for computers," Cox said. "This is about national security. It's about supply chains and bringing supply chains back to the United States, away from our adversaries that want to do us harm."

When most people think of Texas Instruments, their first thought is of the calculators they used in high school and college math classes. Trevor Bee, factory manager at Lehi's wafer fabrication plant, said the company is involved in so much more than just calculators.

"The bulk of our revenue really comes from the analog and embedded chips that we produce that power everything from consumer electronics to industrial automation to the automotive segment," Bee said. "People have hundreds or thousands of Texas Instruments chips in their home without ever knowing that that's what powers the electronic devices that they have."

The newest plant will produce even more of these chips.

Cox added that although Texas Instruments has only been in Utah for a couple of years, the company already understands the "ethos" of Utah, exemplified by the tech giant's $9 million investment into Alpine School District.

As the single largest investment that the district has ever received, the money will go toward the development of the state's first STEM learning community for K-12 students in the district.

"We are excited this partnership will help our students develop essential knowledge and skills, preparing them for success in life and possible careers in the technology sector," said Shane Farnsworth, Alpine School District superintendent. "Working together with the city of Lehi, Texas Instruments and our schools, this collaborative investment will impact students and their families for many generations to come."

The multiyear program will implement more science, technology, engineering and math concepts into the district's coursework and provide STEM-oriented professional development for teachers and administrators.

Another aspect that made welcoming Texas Instruments' expansion in Utah easy was the company's vision for building sustainably, Cox said.

The latest wafer fabrication plant will be LEED Gold-certified, powered by 100% renewable energy, and will recycle water at nearly twice the rate of the company's existing fabrication plant in Lehi.

"I would stand this up as an example for the future of the state, that when companies want to come to Utah or want to expand here in Utah, they have to come to the table with real solutions to make sure that we're using less water and we're being more responsible," Cox said. "It doesn't matter if we have great jobs in the future if we don't have anything to drink."

Funding for Texas Instruments' manufacturing expansions came in part through the Biden Administration's CHIPS and Science Act. The wafer fabrication plant is expected to go into production as early as 2026.

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The winter holidays are coming fast, and with Thanksgiving over, Utah County is ready to celebrate. Light displays, maker markets and holiday productions are lined up to help locals celebrate the holidays.

Christmas light displays:

? Thanksgiving Point’s Luminaria at Ashton Gardens is bigger and brighter than ever. The walk-through light display has been a Lehi holiday staple for eight years. Ticket prices range from $17 to $29 and can be purchased at thanksgivingpoint.com/events/luminaria.

? Mike Willes spends his retirement going all-out on decorations for each holiday. His Christmas display is beyond belief, with lights and happy holiday decor. This light display is free to the public and located at 700 East between 300 S and Center Street in Lehi.

? The Outlets at Traverse Mountain boast Utah’s tallest Christmas Tree, open to the public 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays until Dec 24. While there, check out the life-size Gingerbread Village and visit Santa’s Cottage for photos.

Christmas markets:

? The Beehive Bazaar is an indoor market hosted in Provo’s Bright Building four times a year, and the holiday market is always the best one to check out. Dozens of local artists, crafters and boutiques put out their products, making it the perfect way to shop small for your loved ones this Christmas. The market is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Dec 9.

? Christmas Maker’s Market at Scera’s outdoor courtyard in Orem will be held Dec. 8, 4 to 8 p.m., and Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also hosting a variety of local makers, this market is another excellent way to shop small this holiday season. In addition to the market, there will also be visits with Santa and Buddy the Elf, kids’ crafts and activities, a Christmas Cookie Competition, and punch cards to receive complimentary tickets to any Scera production.

Christmas shows:

? Lehi Arts Council presents a Holiday Review. Featuring over a dozen talented performers, Lehi Arts will perform Broadway numbers to celebrate and reflect on the holiday season. The show runs Dec. 8, 9, 11, 14, 15 and 16 at the Lehi Arts Center. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at lehiarts.org.

? Lehi High School Drama presents Elf the Musical. Running Nov 28 through Dec 2 at 7 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Dec 2, these students will surely impress with their performance of the beloved holiday story! Tickets are $8-10 and can be bought at Lehi High School’s gofan.co page.

? Scera presents A Christmas Story: The Musical. The musical adaptation of the classic Christmas movie runs nearly every evening, Dec 1 through 16, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for children and seniors and $14 for adults and can be purchased from scera.org.

? American Fork’s Maven Cinemas will run showings of various well-loved holiday films, including Home Alone, The Holiday, The Santa Clause, Die Hard, and The Muppet Christmas Carol, among many others, all through December. For showtimes and tickets, visit mavencinemas.com.

Christmas activities:

? Lehi City has opened an outdoor ice rink at the Lehi Sports Complex. With skate aids for the little ones, fireplaces, and hot chocolate for non-skaters, this is a great activity for the whole family. The rink will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and some Fridays. Admission is $7 for any age, with an additional $5 to rent skates. Find more information about hours, pricing and group reservations at lehi-ut.gov/lehi-ice-rink.

? Hee Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove will hold its annual Christmas Festival from Dec 1 through 23 this year. The festival includes animated lights, a walking nativity, a petting farm, visits with Santa and stories with Mrs. Claus. Admission is $13 and includes a hot chocolate and animal feed to use at the petting farm. Tickets can be bought through heehawfarms.com.

? CLAS Ropes in Provo hosts a Christmas cruise from Dec 1 through 23. The cruise will last about 20-25 minutes and includes thousands of Christmas lights reflecting off the water. Santa Claus will visit with all the kids and hand out Christmas candy. Don’t forget to dress warm and bring a blanket! Tickets are $1-2 for children two and under and $10-12 for anyone three or older. They can be bought at clasropes.com/christmascruise.

With a vast selection of activities to suit anyone’s interests and budget, this Christmas season will surely be merry!