The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce recently announced that the Arizona state government is fully engaged in water resource planning and providing water security for TSMC’s US manufacturing operations. This information was provided in a Central News Agency report. According to Chris Camacho, president of the Greater Phoenix Arizona Chamber of Commerce, the population of the Phoenix metropolitan area has increased sixfold since 1957, but water consumption has remained the same. Camacho has openly stated that the state government will continue to offer water assurances to TSMC if it shows interest in expanding its facilities in Arizona, underscoring its consistent support.
Despite being located in the Midwest of the United States, Camacho says that manufacturing water accounts for barely 5% of Arizona’s total water allocation. This suggests that there is a significant amount of water available to potential semiconductor investors, ensuring a steady supply for TSMC.
Kirkland Capital chairman Yang Yingchao was also quoted in the article as saying that the environment around the TSMC plant is noticeably quieter than Intel’s previous construction projects. Although the global semiconductor sector is currently experiencing a slowdown, Yang Yingchao admitted that a slower pace of development is not always bad. He also discussed the difficulties TSMC faces in competing with Intel for Arizona’s hydroelectric resources.
Last year, TSMC announced its intention to build a semiconductor fab in Arizona, USA. The first phase of the project, using state-of-the-art 4nm technology, is expected to begin mass production in 2024. A second phase, for which TSMC is actively preparing, will introduce an advanced 3nm process. As one of the largest foreign direct investment projects in American history, the company’s $40 billion investment has attracted significant global interest.
The partnership between the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona State Government and TSMC demonstrates a commitment to maintaining a favourable environment for semiconductor manufacturing. Arizona aims to strengthen its position as a desirable location for high-tech investment by providing water security and support that will benefit the local economy and the semiconductor sector as a whole.
