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TEXAS — Tesla is considering a potential $10 billion deal that could bring nearly 10,000 jobs and thousands of dollars in revenue to Fort Bend County. It involves the construction of what officials call the largest single solar cell manufacturing site in the country.
In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared plans for solar manufacturing.
“The SpaceX and Tesla teams both separately are working to build to 100 gigawatts a year of solar power in the U.S., and of manufactured solar power,” Musk said.
Months later, the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a tax abatement agreement for Tesla’s Project Crystal Sun. 
The electric vehicle and clean energy company proposed building a $10 billion solar cell manufacturing plant on more than 3,000 acres of land near Richmond. Officials say the potential 30-year agreement would create more than 9,700 permanent jobs paying at least $55 an hour.
The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District approved tax incentives for Tesla in September. Supporters say the plant would provide job opportunities for local students and residents. However, there’s no guarantee Tesla will build the plant at the proposed location at FM 1994 and FM 762 near Needville in Fort Bend County. The company says the county is competing with another location outside of Texas.
Spectrum News looked at documents to see how the agreement would work if Fort Bend lands the deal. They show the county agrees to waive property taxes for machinery and equipment and eliminate inventory-related taxes for 10 years. We also learned the Lamar CISD approved tax incentives through the fairly new Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act (JETI), which requires Tesla to pay full debt service taxes on voter-approved bonds and pay half of the taxes used to fund day-to-day operations.
Neighbors like Daniel Saffron say not everything is written in fine print.
“It’s gonna leave local taxpayers to hold the financial bag on day one,” Saffron said. “There’s no promises to protect the environment that it’s being built on. There are no promises to rebuild any of the infrastructure around it. They say they have this water recycling system, but there’s no specifics behind it.”
Carlos Guzman, the county’s economic opportunity and development agency director, says that the infrastructure, workforce and proximity to Houston are what sparked Tesla’s interest in Fort Bend.
“If it were to locate here in Fort Bend County, we fully expect to have other companies start looking to set up shop as close as possible,” Guzman said, adding that once Gov. Greg Abbott signs off, Tesla will make its decision. “We’re very excited. I hope we get selected because I know it would change the trajectory of this county.”
In the meantime, opponents of the tax incentive program hope industrial expansion won’t strip away the soul of Fort Bend County.
“Anytime there’s a new bill, there’s paperwork, there’s loopholes that people find,” said Saffron, referring to JETI.
If Fort Bend is selected, construction could start this year.

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