Tesla Killed Its Solar Roof. Now Elon Musk Wants 100 GW of Solar

Tesla Inc. is shifting its energy division strategy from niche residential installations to massive manufacturing scale following the discontinuation of its Solar Roof product. The company is currently seeking Texas tax incentives for Project Crystal Sun, a proposed $10.1 billion solar-cell manufacturing facility in Fort Bend County. The project includes approximately $1.5 billion in real property investments and $8.6 billion in equipment, with the potential to create nearly 9,700 permanent jobs. This initiative is a cornerstone of CEO Elon Musk's aggressive plan to establish 100 gigawatts of annual domestic solar manufacturing capacity by the end of 2028 across both Tesla and SpaceX. This ambitious target dwarfs current industry standards, as total U.S. solar module capacity was estimated at just over 45 gigawatts entering 2026. Strategic market implications are significant, as electricity availability is increasingly recognized as a key constraint on artificial intelligence data centers and robotics expansion. By scaling vertically integrated solar and battery storage manufacturing, Tesla seeks to capitalize on growing corporate and industrial demand for rapid clean power generation.