Tesla Plans $10.1B Solar Manufacturing Plant in Texas
Tesla has filed plans for a proposed solar cell manufacturing plant in Fort Bend County, Texas, near Houston, under the name Project Crystal Sun.
The facility is expected to cost $10.1 billion and could create more than 9,700 permanent full-time jobs, along with 1,147 temporary construction positions.
Tesla plans to begin construction in 2026, complete the facility by 2028 and start commercial operations in 2029, according to documents filed with the state.
The company has not disclosed the plant’s expected production capacity. Tesla said it is still evaluating the feasibility of the facility at locations in several US states, so the Texas site has not been confirmed as the final location.
Tesla is seeking state incentives for the project. The company estimates that, without incentives, the facility could generate about $1.1 billion in local property taxes over 37 years.
The proposed plant would manufacture solar cells, although Tesla has not specified whether the products would primarily be used for ground-based solar installations or other applications.
The project comes as CEO Elon Musk has previously discussed a goal of establishing 100 gigawatts of domestic solar production capacity. Tesla has not said how much of that target would be supplied by the proposed Texas facility.
Source: foxbusiness.com
