In Pictures: Tesla's secretive $10.1B 'Project Crystal Sun' solar cell factory wins final local approval in Texas

Utility-scale solar arrays like this one represent the clean-energy market Tesla aims to supply with its proposed Texas cell factory.

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Tesla's 'Project Crystal Sun' would manufacture the solar cells and modules that power installations such as this Minnesota solar farm.

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The proposed $10.1 billion facility would add domestic solar manufacturing capacity to a rapidly expanding sector.

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Fort Bend County commissioners approved four incentive agreements tied to the project, which Tesla says remains in competition with an out-of-state site.

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Solar modules like those on these rooftops are the end product Tesla intends to produce at the Needville-area plant.

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The Needville site would sit in a rural stretch of Fort Bend County southwest of Houston.

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Tesla is targeting a final siting decision before the end of 2026, with local approvals now secured in Texas.

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Demand for solar hardware continues to grow as utilities and homeowners expand renewable capacity.

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If built, the factory would rank among the largest solar manufacturing investments in the United States.

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