Manufacturing
Bechtel Award Advances Micron $100B New York Megafab Toward First Construction
Selection marks shift from site development to execution of the first fabrication plant in Clay, N.Y.
Construction equipment is staged at Micron Technology's semiconductor manufacturing site in Clay, N.Y., during the project's January groundbreaking. Micron announced June 10 it selected Bechtel as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the campus first phase.
Micron Technology has selected Bechtel as engineering, procurement and construction partner for the first phase of its planned semiconductor campus in Clay, N.Y., moving from planning to full-scale build of what is planned to be the nation's largest semiconductor complex.
The campus is part of Micron's plan to invest up to $100 billion in central New York over several decades and is projected to create about 50,000 jobs statewide, including more than 4,500 construction jobs.
The companies jointly announced June 10 that Bechtel will immediately mobilize at the White Pine Commerce Park site in upstate Onondaga County to support construction of the first phase of the memory-chip manufacturing project.
The announcement, which indicates a shift from enabling infrastructure and early site work to execution of the first semiconductor fabrication plant, is a critical step in the multidecade project. The firms did not disclose details regarding contract value, peak construction workforce, subcontracting plans or how Bechtel's responsibilities will interact with work previously assigned to Gilbane Building Co.
A Micron spokesperson declined to comment beyond the June 10 announcement, citing the company's quiet period ahead of its June 24 quarterly earnings release. Publicly available information indicates Gilbane remains associated with earlier site preparation and infrastructure activities at the Clay campus.
"Our New York project will be home to the most advanced memory manufacturing in the world and will serve as a cornerstone of America's leadership in the AI era," said Manish Bhatia, Micron executive vice president of global operations, in the announcement. "We are entering an exciting new phase of construction."
Under the agreement, Bechtel will provide EPC services for the project's first phase.
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The companies said the contractor will deploy an integrated EPC delivery model that combines engineering, procurement, advanced digital construction technologies, modularization strategies and project controls intended to support schedule certainty, workforce coordination and operational readiness.
The project represents "part of the foundation of America's industrial future," said Bechtel President and Chief Operating Officer Craig Albert, adding that Micron is making a "generational investment in U.S. manufacturing."
Semiconductor fabrication facilities rank among the most technically demanding industrial construction projects, requiring specialized cleanroom systems, ultra-high-purity process infrastructure, advanced electrical systems, vibration-sensitive foundations and tightly controlled manufacturing environments.
Intel had selected Bechtel in 2022 to lead the first phase of its Ohio chipmaking campus, where it has been involved in building fabrication facilities and related infrastructure at one of the nation's largest semiconductor developments.
Micron's award advances a project that has steadily progressed through environmental review, utility planning and early site development work.
RELATED
New York Greenlights Power Link for Micron’s $100B Megafab
Last October, the New York State Public Service Commission approved construction of a dedicated 345-kV underground transmission line linking National Grid's Clay substation to the future Micron campus, a key component of the power infrastructure required to support the facility's anticipated electrical demand.
ENR previously reported that the transmission connection and associated substation expansion constituted the first major construction package directly tied to the project.
Public filings released late last year also revised the project timeline, indicating construction of the first fabrication plant would begin in 2026 with operations targeted for 2030. Micron broke ground on the first fab in January.
The project is planned to include up to four semiconductor fabrication plants across approximately 1,400 acres. State officials have described it as a cornerstone of broader efforts to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity under federal and state incentive programs.
Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.
email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591
