Tesla’s secretive “Project Crystal Sun” gets a big green light in Texas

Fort Bend County commissioners unanimously approved four incentive agreements for Tesla’s proposed $10.1 billion solar factory known as Project Crystal Sun, according to Teslarati. The agreements cover a property tax abatement, an economic development agreement, a foreign trade zone non-objection, and a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes true-up agreement. The plant would produce solar cells and modules on roughly 3,000 acres with commercial operations targeted for the first quarter of 2029.

Tesla’s filing splits the investment into $1.5 billion in real property and $8.6 billion in equipment, projecting 9,712 permanent jobs by 2033. The company has told the Texas Comptroller it is still evaluating other locations, with a decision expected before the end of 2026. Local approvals are nearly complete, but the incentives still require sign-off from the Comptroller and the Governor’s office.

Separately, Elon Musk disputed a NASA safety panel estimate that 22 Starship launches would be needed for a Moon landing, stating the actual number will be more like six to eight. The disagreement centers on how much propellant each tanker can deliver to orbit and how much is lost to boil-off and transfer, with NASA using current capabilities while Musk assumes an upgraded V3 Starship.

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Tesla’s secretive “Project Crystal Sun” gets a big green light in Texas — Teslarati