Tesla Town
Tesla targets Houston area for $200 million 'mega' battery factory
Tesla is expected to bring a “megafactory” and 1,500 manufacturing jobs to the Houston area.
According to various news reports this week, Tesla intends to spend $200 million on a facility in Brookshire, Texas. The Waller County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements on March 5 for the new plant.
“We are super excited about this opportunity—1,500 advanced manufacturing jobs in the county and in the city," Waller County Precinct 4 Commissioner Justin Beckendorff said during Wednesday’s Commissioners Court meeting.
Tesla will lease two buildings in Brookshire's Empire West Business Park. According to documents from Waller County, Tesla will add $44 million in facility improvements. In addition, it will install $150 million worth of manufacturing equipment.
As part of the deal, Tesla will invest in property improvements that involve a 600,000-square-foot, $31 million manufacturing facility that will house $2 million worth of equipment and include improvements to the venue.
The facility will produce Tesla megapacks, which are powerful batteries to provide energy storage and support, according to the company. A megapack can store enough energy to power about 3,600 homes for one hour.
Tesla can receive a 60 percent tax abatement for 10 years. According to the tax abatement agreement, Tesla has to employ at least 1,500 people by 2028 in order to be eligible for the tax break.
In addition to the employment clause, Tesla also will be required to have a minimum of $75 million in taxable inventory by January 1, 2026, which will increase to $300 million after three years.
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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.