Climate Politics
Chipmakers’ $52 Billion US Bonanza Imperils Environmental Gains
- Lawmakers to pump billions into industry with big footprint
- Government money comes with ‘very little strings attached’
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The CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden is poised to sign into law next week, was pitched as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to revitalize the US semiconductor industry and counter Asia’s manufacturing power.
What went less discussed was the legislation’s environmental impact. The bill is poised to pump $52 billion into an industry that devours energy and produces toxic waste -- at a time when a global surge in chip demand is already turning companies into bigger polluters.