Lamar Consolidated ISD's board of trustees is set to vote Tuesday, Sept. 15, on a tax-incentive application tied to Tesla's proposed $10.1 billion solar manufacturing facility near Katy.

The project, dubbed Project Crystal Sun, would place a photovoltaic solar cell and module factory on a 3,057-acre site at FM 1994 and FM 762 in Fort Bend County. Tesla's application under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation Act promises 9,712 full-time jobs by 2033 and a $1.3 billion annual payroll at full operation, Community Impact reported.

Tesla's JETI application breaks the investment into $1.5 billion in real property and roughly $8.6 billion in personal property. The company also projects 1,147 temporary construction jobs during the build-out phase.

If approved, the JETI agreement would limit the property's taxable value for Lamar CISD's maintenance and operations purposes to either 25% or 50% during a 10-year period from 2029 to 2038, according to the district's project information page. During construction, the taxable value would be zero. The property would remain fully taxable for the district's interest and sinking fund, which covers voter-approved debt.

Tesla estimates it would pay about $1.1 billion in local property taxes over 37 years without incentives, according to Fort Bend Independent reporting citing Fox Business.

Fort Bend County Commissioners Court created Reinvestment Zone No. 34 covering the site at a special meeting Aug. 24. Four commissioners voted in favor. Interim County Judge Daniel Wong abstained, citing his engineering firm's yearslong business relationship with Tesla.

"My engineering firm has worked with Tesla for at least 5 years on buildings the company has constructed," Wong said in an Aug. 17 statement reported by Covering Katy. "To avoid any concerns arising from that business relationship, I will not participate in any county vote involving Tesla."

Carlos Guzman, the county's director of economic opportunity and development, said at the Aug. 24 meeting that the reinvestment zone is a procedural step required by state law before the county can consider any tax abatement, according to the Fort Bend Independent.

Keri Schmidt, president and CEO of the Fort Bend Regional Partnership, said the project could bring major employment to a county that has historically sent most workers to jobs elsewhere, according to Community Impact. Schmidt said the effort represents more than 40 years of work toward making Fort Bend a job center, not just a bedroom community.

Tesla has not committed to Fort Bend County. The company told the Texas Comptroller's Office it is evaluating locations in multiple states, and its filings indicate the Fort Bend site would be less competitive without incentives.

The JETI process requires approval from the Texas Comptroller, the governor and Lamar CISD's board. If all parties agree, construction could begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2028 and commercial operations in 2029, per Tesla's application. The Lamar CISD board held a workshop on the application Sept. 10. The Comptroller and governor each have 30 days after a favorable recommendation to decide whether to enter a JETI agreement.