Tesla's mammoth Gigafactory, currently under construction in the Nevada desert near the aptly titled town of Sparks, promises to be a game-changer for the car company and battery manufacturer. Set to open in 2017 at a cost of $5 billion, the largest lithium-ion battery plant in the world will fuel Tesla's expansion plans and support its ambitions to power your house with its new Powerwall product. Superlatives abound when discussing Elon Musk's new project, set to raise the bar for eco-conscious manufacturing. Here are some of the incredible facts surrounding the conception and completion of this planet-friendly plant.

A May drone flyover of the Tesla Gigafactory under construction.

It Really Is That Big: The Gigafactory site is expected to cover 10 million square feet, the size of 174 football fields. Here are some additional photos of the building in progress. (Inc)

It Will Require a Massive Construction Crew: Roughly 3,000 workers will be needed to build the Gigafactory. (Tech Times)

It's Going To Bring a Lot of Jobs: : When it comes online in 2017, it's expected to employ 6,500 workers, who will be pumping out half-a-million batteries annually by 2020. (Reno Gazette-Journal)

Musk Knows How to Negotiate: According to an article recounting the frenzied bidding contest between six states trying to land the factory, Nevada won by offering a super-sized package of tax breaks and incentives. The state's spending adds up to $200,000 for each of the 6,500 direct jobs the factory is supposed to create. (Fortune)



Net Zero Energy, But Not Net Zero Cost for Nevada: Between transferable tax credits, highway funds and tax abatements, the state pledged $1.4 billion to help bring the Gigafactory to Nevada. (Fortune)



Sex sells?:The Nevada bid team was co-led by Mustang Ranch owner Lance Gilman. (Fortune)

Big Winner? The Building Inspector: Storey County will reap a significant reward over the next few years in the form of permitting fees. Through January this year, the county already banked $246,000 from the project, and has hired additional staff to keep up with the demand. (Reno Gazette-Journal)



Tesla Isn't the Only Tech Company in Town: Nearby Reno hopes to capitalize on the Gigafactory and reshape its economy, and so far, has seen some of success. Apple is building a data center nearby and Amazon just moved a Nevada-based distribution center closer to the city. Companies aren't the only organizations trying to benefit from the new neighbor; real estate values have shot up nearly 20 percent, and the engineering school at University of Nevada at Reno will offer a minor in Batteries and Energy Storage Technologies. (Automotive News)

Keeping Away Prying Eyes: An earthen berm has been raised around the construction site to restrict views. (Washington Post)

· At Last, Tesla Unveils its $3K Batteries for Powering the Home [Curbed]