September 21, 2022 10:50 a.m.

On Wednesday, Governor Kate Brown appeared before the House Interim Committee on Economic Development and Small Business to urge support of the recommendations brought forward by the Oregon Semiconductor Competitiveness Task Force, which she chaired with Senator Ron Wyden and PGE CEO Maria Pope.

A release said the group brought together representatives of industry, government, academics, and workforce to build consensus around a package that will help create prosperity for all Oregonians through supporting research and development, recruiting and training the workforce, increasing land availability, strengthening incentives and streamlining regulation.

Brown also announced that she will be investing $1million from the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund in industrial land readiness. The release said the investment will help local governments with site preparation planning, wetland mitigation assessment, and begin the process to create an Industrial Lands Technical Assistance Grant Fund to help leverage CHIPS Act opportunities.

Brown said, “The semiconductor industry is truly the heart and soul of Oregon’s economy. Because we have laid the groundwork for workforce development with Future Ready Oregon, we can continue to invest in STEM education and building on existing partnerships – among industry, education, workforce, and community-based organizations- to meet the education and workforce needs of the industry”.

Brown said Oregon is in a 50-state competition for CHIPS funding so its critical the state seizes the opportunities available in the highly competitive semiconductor industry.

A copy of the Governor’s prepared testimony is linked: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qowpxDA8HfEvUzKoxNMvKd6IIdsJild_/view