As if Intel’s $20 billion silicon chip facility, the “largest single private sector company investment in Ohio’s history,” wasn’t big enough, the project has created a ripple effect of other developments in the region, the Newark Advocate reports. The top economic development stories of 2023 were Intel-related; every developer “mentions Intel at some point during the explanation of their plans,” according to the article. The Intel site itself “includes 250 acres set aside for suppliers.” American Electric Power (AEP) is “building a new substation just to serve the factory.” Amazon “prepared to make the second-largest private sector investment in state history,” announcing a plan to spend an estimated $7.8 billion “to build data center operations in central Ohio.” Microsoft paid $56.9 million for 183 acres in Licking County and another $30.65 million for 289 acres in the Pataskala Corporate Park; both sites could potentially become data centers. Illuminate USA announced “it would build one of the largest solar panel manufacturing factories in the U.S. in Pataskala,” and committed to a $220 million investment for the 1.1-million-square-foot facility. The company’s total investment including equipment, raw materials, and salaries is “expected to top $600 million.” For more, read the full article (subscription may be required).
Intel Project Spurs Other Large Developments
