2024-09-24
Today, the House passed the “Building Chips in America Act” sponsored by @SenMarkKelly and @SenTedCruz in the Senate last year. It's a really cool permitting reform bill related to semiconductors. Here's a quick explanation of what it does and why it matters. 1/ @noahpinion
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
It was meant to address rising pollution. NEPA's goals were laudable but it's now more than a half century old and is showing its age. There are a lot of ways in which NEPA is getting in the way of green energy today for example. 4/
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
But let me not get off on that tangent so I can stick to semiconductors. Semiconductor fabs hitting that “major federal action” designation above mean that, under NEPA, they have to undergo what's known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 5/
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
This is a great bill. It helps us better compete with China. It means taxpayer dollars get spent more efficiently. It means more good paying jobs for American workers. It means faster technology development for businesses and consumers. A good win today! 12/
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
So today the House passed S. 2228 by a vote 257-125 (it needed 2/3). It says that those federal subsidies that I mentioned back at the beginning no longer, by themselves, make these fabs “a major federal action” and so don't require the NEPA review. 9/ https://x.com/...
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
In 2022, through the CHIPS and Science Act, Congress allocated around $40 billion in subsidies for new semiconductor manufacturing facilities known as fabs. Semiconductors are arguably the world's most important technology and Congress wants them made HERE. 2/ @crmiller1 [image]
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
Because of those subsidies, those fabs would be considered “major federal action” and so would be subject to NEPA. For those of you who aren't deep in the weeds of permitting, NEPA is the National Environmental Policy Act and was created in 1969. 3/
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
EIS sounds like brief, easy paperwork; they are not! They average 4.5 years and construction can't start until they're done. Between the scoping process, public comment, and potential lawsuits, an EIS can be complex, time-consuming, and burdensome. 6/ https://ifp.org/...
Bloomberg
The US House approves a bill exempting some chipmaking projects from federal permitting requirements after Senate approval in 2023, sending it to Biden's desk
Mackenzie Hawkins / Bloomberg :
2022-09-10
1 sounds nice but abandons the consumer welfare standard. Bad idea. 2 is good in principle but please do better than GDPR in practice. 3 is well-intentioned but the devil is in the details. 4 is a terrible idea. 5 and 6 are way more difficult to do than people imagine. https://twitter.com/...
Protocol
The White House unveils six proposals for tech policy reform aimed at competition, algorithms, and safety on social platforms, and suggests Section 230 changes
for a Good Reason Alfonso Maruccia / TechSpot : White House consults experts, lays down a six-point plan to increase Big Tech accountability GovTech : White House Outlines Guiding ...
2022-09-09
1 sounds nice but abandons the consumer welfare standard. Bad idea. 2 is good in principle but please do better than GDPR in practice. 3 is well-intentioned but the devil is in the details. 4 is a terrible idea. 5 and 6 are way more difficult to do than people imagine. https://twitter.com/...
Protocol
The White House unveils six proposals for tech policy reform aimed at competition, algorithms, and safety on social platforms, and suggests Section 230 changes
The White House on Thursday praised “bipartisan interest in Congress in passing legislation to protect privacy” …