Meta inks deal for solar power at night, beamed from space
TLDR
- Meta signed a capacity reservation with Overview Energy for up to 1 GW of power beamed from 1,000 satellites to terrestrial solar farms.
Key Facts
- Overview Energy plans to launch infrared-beaming spacecraft that charge existing solar farms at night, avoiding battery storage.
- Meta’s data centers consumed over 18,000 GWh in 2024, roughly enough to power 1.7 million U.S. homes for a year.
- Overview demonstrated power transmission from an aircraft; first satellite launch to LEO is planned for January 2028.
- Commercial satellites targeting geosynchronous orbit are expected to begin launching in 2030, with a 1,000-spacecraft fleet covering roughly a third of the planet.
Why It Matters
- The deal signals that space-based solar is moving from concept to early commercial contracts as AI data center power demand climbs.
- By targeting existing solar farm infrastructure, Overview sidesteps the high-power laser and microwave safety hurdles that stalled earlier space-solar proposals.
Tim Fernholz, TechCrunch · 2026-04-27 · Read the original
