Tesla Files for $10.1 Billion Solar Cell Plant in Fort Bend County, Texas

Tesla has filed paperwork in Texas for a $10.1 billion solar cell manufacturing facility dubbed "Project Crystal Sun," according to a public application first surfaced on social media.

What Happened

The filing, submitted July 22 under the state's Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act, targets a site off FM 762 and FM 1994 near Richmond in Fort Bend County—about 40 minutes outside Houston. The application prepared by Kroll Tax Services on Tesla's behalf lists five parcels totaling roughly 3,000 acres within the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. Tesla is seeking a 10-year property tax limitation in exchange for the investment, structured as $1.5 billion in real property and $8.6 billion in equipment and personal property. The company projects 9,712 permanent jobs once fully operational, with 1,147 peak construction jobs during a build window running from this year through 2028 and commercial operations targeted for first quarter of 2029. The filing notes Tesla is weighing the site against an unnamed out-of-state alternative and may build elsewhere if incentives are declined.

Why It Matters

The plant would handle the full solar cell production chain in one facility—covering wafer and ingot manufacturing, coating, metallization, printing lines, cell testing, automated material handling, and cleanroom infrastructure. That scope indicates Tesla is vertically integrating a part of its supply chain it currently sources largely from overseas partners. The project mirrors Tesla's expanding Megapack production in Brookshire, Texas, and would feed the panels and storage systems Tesla sells to homeowners, businesses, and utilities—while also supporting power needs for its own data centers as AI ambitions grow.

The Bottom Line

Tesla is not fully committed to Fort Bend County yet. Whether local officials approve the tax abatement will factor into where—if at all—the company moves forward with Project Crystal Sun.