Nov 2, 2022
BRT S03 EP55 (154) 10-30-2022 – Clean Energy & the State of AZ Tech in 2022 w/ Steve Zylstra of the AZ Tech Council
What We Learned This Week
- Chips & Science Act is good for Semiconductors & the U.S. Supply Chain
- Clean Energy - many Tech Co's working on zero emission plan
- Semiconductor – big Tech Co’s building plants in AZ
- Nuclear Power tech is vastly improved & viable in the future
Guest: Steve Zylstra, President / CEO AZ Tech Council
https://www.aztechcouncil.org/
https://www.aztechcouncil.org/kfnx_july2021/
Steve Zylstra of AZ Tech Council joins BRT to talk all things technology in the Valley. The Arizona Technology Council is one of the largest technology-driven trade associations in North America, with over 850 members and growing, the only organization specifically serving technology companies statewide. They protect innovators and truly believe that technology moves all of us forward; and are dedicated to the future of Arizona.
Steve Zylstra advocates for AZ tech, as well as his recurring writing about the industry. Steve, and the Council are a major source for updates on technology, business growth, and what legislation is being drafted.
We talk about AZ as a great technology hub in the U.S., and how it compares to Silicon Valley, Boston, etc. Also the Future tech Co’s moving to the valley, influx of people moving to the valley from CA, NY, etc.
How high tech jobs help the valley, and surrounding business plus VC and Angel Investing. The importance of semiconductors and Aerospace, two of the most prominent industries in AZ.
Notes:
Arizona continues to attract business from other states. Finding talent is the main issue for these businesses. In 2023 most businesses are expecting a recession with lower growth rates, but still some growth, just not double digit growth. There will be layoffs and cutbacks. Intel is building a semiconductor fab center in Chandler, AZ.
The chips and science act passed by the governor has been a good thing for the semiconductor industry. It specifically benefits states like Oregon, New Mexico, Ohio, California and Arizona.
The inflation reduction act will have $369 billion going to clean and clean energy industry. This really benefits Arizona because of the UV and solar industry in the state.
Supply chain of semiconductors, in the past 39% were made in the US. Now it is just 12% with Asia being the main producer. Silicon Valley was born out of the semiconductor industry post World War II.
Intel investing 20 billion on to fab‘s in Arizona. Taiwan semiconductor TSMC has already invested 12 billion in phase 1 to build a fab in North Phoenix.
It has been a 2 year construction job with estimates of 3000 construction workers on it and 1800 employees who will later work in the fab. Location is at I 17 and the 303 in Anthem.
Seg 2
Cost in Asia with labor are up so savings cost not as much to produce overseas.
Covid Pandemic taught us that having supply chains offshore is a threat. There is security needed plus the reality to bring production back to the US. Semiconductor industry is crucial to multiple industries in America like auto and computers.
TSMC bringing suppliers also to the US dozens of equipment and chemicals makers located right here in North Phoenix and in Casa Grande. Suppliers are coming because of Intel and TSMC.
Famous business consultant Michael Porter talked about industries that cluster because of boom in an industry.
Samsung is putting a plant in Austin Texas, Micron building in Boise Idaho, and Intel also spending $20 billion to build a plant in Ohio. Arizona already has many semiconductor companies here like On Semi Marvel ASM and ASML.
EV industry is big in Arizona with companies like Nikola, Atlis Motors, Lucid, ZEV. You also have battery plants here like LG and Core Power.
Other big companies that are in the battery industry are Tesla and Samsung. There’s a company called Ly-cycle in Gilbert Arizona that does lithium battery recycling
Seg 3
Semi conductors are in a lot of products like smart homes and appliances and devices. This is called IOT or the Internet of things, and in the future almost everything will have a chip in it. Intel has a center of excellence which deals with IOT on the industrial side, where downtime in devices is monitored with sensors.
Always a danger with tech in modern society of an EMP weapon electromagnetic pulse
Defense Industry and Aerospace are very big in AZ. They must be located in the US for security purposes. In times of crisis you can’t depend on foreign production and offshore supply.
Clean energy is a common theme with many tech industries as they are at, or moving to zero admissions. Oil still necessary but the demand may go down over the next 10 to 20 years.
Nuclear energy may be on a comeback. There is already a large plant since 1988 in Palo Verde, Arizona, west of Phoenix. It’s the largest nuclear power plant in the US giving power to both California and Arizona.
Nuclear power tech has come a long way and is much better and safer option then it was 40 years ago. Nuclear power is back in the energy Mix
Seg 4
How to make the transition from oil & coal to clean energy. There is a need to build a better charger charging station infrastructure for EV vehicles. Solar and wind will become more prominent over the next decade.
Nuclear Energy has new potential, can build quicker, smaller and more modular micro facility types. Facility of this size could give power to millions of people, but would be much smaller than the Palo Verde nuclear plant in AZ
Wind Farms already in Arizona near Holbrook in the high desert. Solar there is much better battery tech these days to store solar energy.
Atlis Motors CEO Mark Hanchett’s company just went public and they want to be an energy company, to focus long-term on their battery technology
Tech Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Tech
More - BRT Best of Tech 2021:
Cell Based Collagen from Jellatech + BRT 2.2021 - Best of Tech 2021
BRT Summer TechFest 2021 – Drones, Robotics & More Tech
BRT S02 EP52 (99) 12-26-2021 – Tech for the Holidays – BRT Best of Tech 2021
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