Investment in digital technology continues to play a major role in driving the U.S. economy. For example, a planned massive semiconductor manufacturing campus in New York is set to create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth in the surrounding region.

Earlier this month, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) approved a 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line project that will connect the campus with a nearby power substation.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the milestone in October when the PSC adopted the terms of a joint proposal with the transmission line developer, National Grid, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The PSC also approved National Grid’s environmental management and construction plan for the first phase of construction activities.

The 2-mile, 345-kV underground transmission service line will connect an existing substation and a proposed technology fabrication area in the town of Clay. The manufacturing facility will be built by Boise, Idaho-based semiconductor manufacturer Micron. The project involves the installation of the eastern expansion of the Clay Substation and equipment from the substation to the Micron campus.

The proposed transmission project includes the construction of eight new 345-kV transmission voltage service laterals from the Clay Substation to four proposed Micron facility fabrication areas, for a total of eight circuits ranging from 0.95 miles to 2.07 miles. The project is located exclusively in Clay.

Construction on the project is expected to begin before the close of the year, and service should begin in the spring of 2027.

According to Micron, the manufacturing campus could bring up to $100 billion in investment and the creation of over 50,000 jobs over the next 20 years or more. It will include what is being described as “the nation’s largest clean room space” at approximately 2.4 million square feet. A clean room is an environment in which temperature, humidity and microbial pollutants are tightly controlled, which is essential for semiconductor manufacturing.