Slowing of Intel construction continues to frustrate

It gets a little harder each time to match state officials' public optimism that Intel will live up to all its promises to Ohioans, when the news is that — again — the company is letting off the gas. In fact, last week Intel said it will "further slow" the pace of construction on a microchip facility that was supposed to be up and running THIS year. The last time we got such news, The Columbus Dispatch reported Intel was delaying its opening to at least 2030 or 2031. It is not clear now how much further that date might be pushed. "While the pace of construction in Ohio may not be as fast, Intel has affirmed its commitment to Ohio as the new leadership of the company makes adjustments to its long-term strategy," Gov. Mike DeWine told the Dispatch last week. "We will further slow the pace of construction in Ohio to ensure our spending is aligned with market demand. ... We have flexibility to accelerate work as needed to meet customer needs," Intel Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan said, according to the Dispatch. In other words, Ohio needs to consider what might happen if market demand and customer needs make it unnecessary for Intel to do what it vowed it would do in New Albany. It has already stopped moving forward with planned projects in Germany and Poland, and is planning to cut staffing by 15% in the months ahead, the Dispatch reported. Remember the excitement when Intel first made its announcement back in January 2022 (after it received $7.865 billion in CHIPS funding from the federal government and $600 million in grants from the Ohio Department of Development — $300 million of which was supposed to hinge on construction being completed by 2028)? Remember how municipal officials in New Albany touted their preparedness and the efforts they had in place to ensure they were ready for the influx of workers? The company told us the project would create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs, after all. Remember all the flowery back-patting and cheerleading from public officials crowing about the game-changing impact a company of Intel's stature would have in inspiring other companies to build here? It's time to start speaking in realistic terms to Buckeye State residents and local governments that have become too used to this kind of disappointment. It's time to start clawing back public money that did not buy us what we hoped it would. When projects like these start to look like mirages, it becomes even harder to remember the promise that public officials would seek to bring a large employer within commuting distance of EVERY Ohioan. But we won't forget. Intel has no qualms about going back on its word. The DeWine administration, the Ohio Department of Development and JobsOhio must not go back on theirs.