Tesla design lead says water recycling, cooling options will guide Project Crystal Sun engineering

Eric Strickland, Tesla's process lead for Project Crystal Sun, told the board that solar-cell manufacturing requires substantial water but that Tesla plans to recycle nearly all process water and to evaluate groundwater alongside other sources to reduce net demand. He described cooling‑technology choices (evaporative vs. electric-driven cooling) as a design tradeoff that will affect water demand and said the company will develop emergency-response, hazardous‑materials and permitting plans to meet federal, state and local regulatory requirements.

Strickland emphasized the project is in early design and that many details (final footprint, roads, utilities, and building systems) cannot be finalized until site selection and the detailed engineering phase. He cited environmental and water‑management awards won by other Tesla facilities as examples of the company's prior conservation efforts.