Ohio

Ohio is staking its future on a semiconductor bet that keeps getting pushed further away. Intel's $28+ billion investment in Licking County represents the largest private-sector commitment in state history—nearly 1,000 acres that will host two leading-edge fabrication facilities creating 3,000 jobs paying an average of $135,000, plus 7,000 construction and 10,000 indirect positions. The project promised to add $2.8 billion to annual GDP and cement Ohio's role in the "Silicon Heartland."

But the timeline tells a story of compounding delays. Originally targeting 2025 completion, Intel pushed to 2026, then again to 2030-2031 to proceed "in a financially responsible manner." The company received $1.5 billion in CHIPS Act funding for Ohio and $8 billion nationally for its fabrication expansion, while the state contributed $600 million in grants. Yet headwinds multiply: Intel announced 20% workforce layoffs, CEO Pat Gelsinger retired, and the Trump administration questioned the CHIPS Act's value—with the President calling the $50 billion program "a horrible, horrible idea."

Governor DeWine maintains faith, noting Intel has already invested close to $8 billion in the ground: "They're not going to walk away from it." The logic of sunk costs may prove correct, but Ohio's bet illustrates the risks of single-project dependency. If Intel delivers, Ohio transforms into a semiconductor anchor; if delays extend or priorities shift, the state will have committed years and resources to a promise deferred. The "Silicon Heartland" dream remains precisely that—a future state not yet materialized.