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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> [ExI] 18,000 Reasons It’s So Hard to Build a Chip Factory in America<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br>>…18,000 Reasons It’s So Hard to Build a Chip Factory in America<br><br><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/business/tsmc-phoenix-fab.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6U8.xJXN.ZcGk9HHLVf5i&smid=em-share">https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/04/business/tsmc-phoenix-fab.html?unlocked_article_code=1.6U8.xJXN.ZcGk9HHLVf5i&smid=em-share</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><br>Ja, 18k reasons why it is hard, but at least 19k reasons why we will do it anyway. Not necessarily in the Phoenix area.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you bring up a map of Nevada, you will see a big open area along that diagonal stateline from Vegas to Reno. That US 95 highway can be four-laned and chip manufacturing can be set up there with a fraction of the bother. Reasoning: US chip manufacturing must meet federal, state, county and city environmental regulations. There are plenty of places along US95 where there isn’t a city, so that doesn’t contribute, where the county doesn’t care (Mineral county, nearly unpopulated Esmeralda and Ny counties) and the state of Nevada will love the idea. The state of Nevada has traditionally been heavily dependent on tourist/harlotry/gambling revenue, but over time, more and more people slake that appetite from home on their computers (not that I personally… like…do anything of that nature…or… anything (clarification: the gambling part (of course I am not doing the tourist or harlotry online at home (what I have would never sell (damn.)))) <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The state of Nevada would cheerfully welcome the electronics fab industry along that corridor from Vegas to Reno, and would help supply casino hitm… uhhh rather… SECURITY… specialists… to take care of… rather to clear away any… environmental protestors and such. The state of Nevada is experiencing slumping revenue, and is consequently very open and welcoming of alternative revenue sources.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>OK then, city, county, state, all favor Way-to-hell-and-gone Nevada. That leaves federal environmental regulations. The Chevron decision of 2024 means that even if there are federal environmental regulations, unless they are law, passed by congress, what was once the equivalent of law are now are merely executive branch rules subject to POTUS executive orders. I predict those federal level environmental regulations will not be a problem.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Water: ja. Pipes will be needed to haul in water, and I predict it will need to be supplemented by solar desalinated seawater. That means a lot of pipes. Nevada has a lot of clear skies and plenty of open land, so it makes sense to harness solar energy for desalination.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Unions: Nevada has plenty of that, but their unions revolve around the entertainment/hospitality/gambling concessions. The harlots union will be cool with more people coming in (assuming there is a harlots union) and their construction unions, well… let em strike. But I don’t think they will, because everywhere a chip fab is under construction, homes and offices will be waaaaay under construction in parallel, so every nail-pounder and wire puller will have all the work he wants.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Then… Bring in Taiwanese workers, let them do things their way, have their meetings in Chinese if they wish. There are Chinese-speaking engineers, plenty of them, already in the states, born here. A lot of them live in the Bay area.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Prediction (assuming the singularity doesn’t come in the next few years): that corridor between Vegas and Reno will have nuclear plants, desalination plants, new chip fabs, new (and nice) cities filled with new and nice homes, advanced everything. It will be cool.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>