SpaceX plans to construct a semiconductor plant in Grimes County, with an initial investment exceeding $16.8 billion and the promise of 3,000 jobs. This project, named Terafab, was announced by Governor Greg Abbott and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The facility will be located near Iola, and is designed to be one of the largest manufacturing buildings globally, covering 100 million square feet.
The state is providing a $30 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund, and the project qualifies for incentives under the Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program. Both school districts in Grimes County have approved agreements related to the plant.
Iola Independent School District Superintendent Jeff Dyer stated that the tax incentives were in the district's best interest, while Anderson-Shiro ISD Superintendent Sarah Borowicz described the project as a defining moment for their district.
The chips produced at the Terafab facility will be utilized in Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots, Cybercab driverless vehicles, and processors for SpaceX's satellite-based data centers. However, there is a discrepancy between the state's announced investment figure and SpaceX's own filings, which suggest a potential investment of up to $119 billion. No construction timeline has been provided for the project.
