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Terafab Tracker
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Terafab is a planned chip-making complex led by SpaceX with Tesla and xAI, meant to combine logic, memory and advanced packaging. Texas confirmed the site in Grimes County, near Gibbons Creek Reservoir about 20 miles east of College Station, on Aug. 6, 2026. Ground was broken in August; SpaceX says limited operations could start toward the end of 2027. A separate Tesla research fab is being built at Giga Texas.
Honest note: Information on Terafab is still thin. SpaceX has sued to keep some project records private, no general contractor or chip process has been publicly confirmed, and Tesla's quarterly updates describe the effort only in general terms. Figures below come from government releases, public filings and reporting; projections are labeled as such.
CURRENT STAGE Site work under way (Phase 1)
Phase 1 capital investment
Texas Governor's office; later phases in filings could bring the total to about $119B (projection).Sources: Office of the Texas Governor, Aug. 6, 2026ENR, Oct. 8, 2026
jobs promised in Phase 1
Per the Governor's office.planned facility size
Planned, not built.Sources: Office of the Texas Governor, Aug. 6, 2026KBTX, Aug. 6, 2026
limited operations target (SpaceX)
State filings project commercial operations in 2028.What's confirmed about the site
| Item | Detail | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Grimes County, TX, near Gibbons Creek Reservoir, ~20 miles east of College Station | Confirmed | Sources: Office of the Texas Governor, Aug. 6, 2026ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
| County tax abatement | Approved June 3, 2026: up to 10 years at 100%; SpaceX pays $10M upfront and $20M a year in lieu of taxes (2027-2036); requires at least $5B investment and 1,800 jobs | Confirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
| State incentives | $30M Texas Enterprise Fund grant; qualified JETI project | Confirmed | |
| Reinvestment zone | More than 22,000 acres around the reservoir (not all to be developed) | Confirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
| Power and water | Onsite power plants (gas turbines, battery storage) and Gibbons Creek Reservoir surface water, per county agreements | Confirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
| Records dispute | SpaceX sued the Texas AG and Grimes County on Sept. 8, 2026 to block release of some project records | Confirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
Plans and projections (not yet achieved)
| Item | Detail | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Construction 2026-28; commercial operations expected 2028 (state filings); limited operations late 2027 (SpaceX) | Confirmed | |
| Phases 2-4 | 2029-31 (~$38.6B), 2032-34 (~$38.6B), 2035-36 (~$25.3B); each contingent on a decision to proceed | Confirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
| Long-term goal | Musk's stated aim: chips for 1 terawatt of compute a year | Confirmed | |
| Process technology | Filings mention sub-2nm-class processes through partners; no process or partner capacity has been confirmed | Reported / unconfirmed | Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026 |
Milestones, dated and sourced.
- Reported / unconfirmed
Musk: his companies will 'build and run the fab'
Musk wrote on X that TSMC might sublease part of Terafab but would not run it. Read our story ↗
Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026
- Reported / unconfirmed
Drone footage shows extensive earthwork
Aerial footage captured Oct. 6 shows large-scale site preparation in Grimes County.
Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026
- Confirmed
Site clearing well along; limited operations eyed for late 2027
Local reporting says ground was broken in August; SpaceX says limited operations could begin toward the end of 2027.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 28, 2026
- Confirmed
SpaceX sues to block release of Terafab records
The suit challenges a July 28 Attorney General ruling that ordered most requested records released.
Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026
- Confirmed
Groundbreaking in Grimes County
Construction started in August, according to local reporting.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 28, 2026
- Confirmed
Texas confirms Grimes County site, $16.8B first phase
Gov. Abbott announced the 100M sq ft plant, 3,000 jobs, a $30M Texas Enterprise Fund grant and JETI status.
Sources: Office of the Texas Governor, Aug. 6, 2026KBTX, Aug. 6, 2026
- Confirmed
Tesla: Austin chip fab construction and equipment procurement progressing
Tesla's Q2 update calls its Austin semiconductor fab 'still in its early stages'.
Sources: Tesla Q2 2026 Update (July 22, 2026)
- Confirmed
Grimes County approves tax abatement
100% county abatement for up to 10 years in exchange for payments in lieu of taxes and minimum investment and job commitments.
Sources: ENR, Oct. 8, 2026
- Confirmed
Tesla shows research fab groundbreaking at Giga Texas
Tesla's Q1 update says the SpaceX partnership 'begins with the Tesla-owned Research Fab' on the Giga Texas campus.
Sources: Tesla Q1 2026 Update (Apr. 22, 2026)
- Confirmed
Intel joins Terafab
Intel said it will help 'design, fabricate, and package' chips for the project; terms weren't disclosed.
Sources: TechCrunch, Apr. 7, 2026
- Confirmed
Musk unveils Terafab in Austin
Announced as a Tesla-SpaceX-xAI project estimated at $20B+, starting with an advanced technology fab in Austin.
Sources: Engadget, Mar. 22, 2026
Confirmed Tesla filings or posts, regulators, or multiple outlets. Reported / unconfirmed A single outlet, a community tracker, or a claim Tesla hasn't confirmed. Our coverage Tesla News Wire stories in this section, added automatically.
How this tracker works. Every entry links to a source we opened. "Confirmed" means a company filing or post, a government record, or multiple outlets; "reported" means a single outlet, an independent observer or an unconfirmed claim. We don't invent figures. Spot an error or a missing milestone? Tell us. Other trackers: Robotaxi Tracker · Optimus Tracker · FSD Tracker · Giga Texas Tracker.
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