Development
BY KELLY SCHAFLER
Tesla plans $150M battery factory in Brookshire
Tesla plans to invest more than $150 million in a new Megafactory in Brookshire that will bring 1,500 manufacturing jobs to the area, Waller County officials said. The utility-scale battery factory will create Megapacks and provide energy in times of high electrical demand, per the tax abatement agreement approved at the Waller County Commissioners Court on March 5. Tesla’s facility will be a replica of the company’s Megafactory in Lathrop, California, Tesla Engineering Lead Shiv Mysore said at the meeting. The California facility can provide up to 40 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity per year, according to a
“This is going to have a huge, significant impact on the Brookshire area, south Waller County and Waller County in general,” he said. What they’re saying The agreement states Tesla must hire 1,500 employees by its third year in operation and through the abatement period, which ends Dec. 31, 2035. “This gives good-paying jobs right here in Waller County, so you don’t have to drive into Houston or the surrounding area to have a good income,” Precinct 4 Com- missioner Justin Beckendorff said. The median household income in Waller County is the second lowest among six Houston-area counties, according to five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It’s also lower than the state’s median income of $76,292. Next steps Construction and opening timelines aren’t included in the agreement, but the abatement period begins Jan. 1, 2026. Brookshire City Council also approved an abatement agree- ment at a March 6 meeting.
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video on Tesla’s YouTube. What you need to know
Tesla, an automotive and clean energy company, already leases about 1 million square feet at 111 Empire Blvd. in Stream Realty Partners’ Empire West Business Park, said Vince Yokom, executive director of the Waller County Eco- nomic Development Partnership. Tesla will replace a third-party logistics company occupying the space, Yokom said.
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Agreement details Tesla’s move into Brookshire will happen in multiple phases at the business park.
EMPIRE BLVD.
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1. 111 Empire Blvd., Brookshire • Stream Realty will spend $44M to improve the existing facility. • Tesla will spend about $150M to install equipment.
2. 103 Empire Blvd., Brookshire • Stream Realty will build a $31.5M manufacturing facility. • Tesla will spend $2M-$5M to install distribution equipment and make improvements.
SOURCES: WALLER COUNTY, WALLER COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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