SpaceX is set to establish a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Grimes County, which is projected to cost over $16.8 billion and create approximately 3,000 jobs. The announcement was made by Governor Greg Abbott and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who described the facility, named Terafab, as a significant advancement in chip production.
The state has committed a $30 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund to support the project, which also qualifies for the Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program. Both school districts in Grimes County have agreed to participate, with Iola Independent School District Superintendent Jeff Dyer stating that the tax incentives would benefit the district.
Anderson-Shiro ISD Superintendent Sarah Borowicz referred to the project as a defining moment for their district.
The facility will be designed to integrate various chip manufacturing processes under one roof, which is intended to streamline production for Tesla's Optimus robots, Cybercab vehicles, and SpaceX's satellite-based data centers. However, there is a discrepancy between the state's investment figure and a SpaceX filing, which suggested an initial investment of $55 billion, potentially rising to $119 billion. No timeline for construction has been disclosed.
