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Elon Musk announces $30M donation to Cameron County, TX schools, City of Brownsville

Elon Musk during the Falcon Heavy's maiden flight. (Credit: National Geographic/YouTube)

Elon Musk has announced he will donate $30 million to Cameron County Schools and the City of Brownsville, Texas. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO announced that additional details would come next week.

“Am donating $20M to Cameron County schools & $10M to City of Brownsville for downtown revitalization,” Musk Tweeted Tuesday morning. “Details to follow next week.”

The area is home to SpaceX’s South Texas launch site, often referred to as “Starbase” or the “Boca Chica Launch Site.” The private facility is home to SpaceX’s rocket production facility and spaceport and is located in Texas’s southernmost region near the U.S.-Mexico border. It has been the home of eight SpaceX launches, with the first coming in April 2019 and the most recent on March 3rd, 2021.

Additionally, Musk plans to alleviate some energy concerns in the area by partnering with Magic Valley Utility, which will supply the area with clean, wind power. Musk also said that Tesla and SpaceX are attempting to increase solar power by ten-fold. “We’re also aiming to increase solar power from 1MW to 10MW, paired with Tesla Megapacks, for continuous power,” he said.

In early March, Musk indicated that SpaceX would be “creating the city of Starbase, Texas” by incorporating the village of Boca Chica to the Starship production complex. The two areas together would be called, Starbase, Texas, and Cameron Country Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., said he has been in contact with SpaceX. Elon Musk’s rocket-building entity contacted Judge Trevino Jr. just days before Musk’s tweet, he said.

“If SpaceX and Elon Musk would like to pursue down this path, they must abide by all state incorporation statutes. Cameron County will process any appropriate petitions in conformity with applicable law,” Trevino said in a statement.

Musk also said that he hopes that his Boring Company can install a loop from Brownsville International Airport to South Padre Island and Starbase, based on a suggestion from a Twitter follower.

Musk has donated millions of dollars to notable causes over the past several years. Most recently, donations to the Khan Academy, the Barstool Fund for Small Businesses, and to Boston researchers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted Musk’s extensive list of charitable causes. He has also pledged a $100M reward to carbon capture development, a project that he announced earlier this year.

Elon Musk announces $30M donation to Cameron County, TX schools, City of Brownsville
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