TLDRs
- Meta signs deal to explore space-based solar energy for AI infrastructure
- Overview Energy plans satellites beaming infrared light to Earth solar farms
- Project aims to support Meta’s growing, power-hungry AI data centers globally
- First orbital power transmissions expected after satellite launches later this decade
Meta is accelerating its push to secure massive and reliable energy sources for its expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure, striking a new agreement with startup Overview Energy to explore space-based solar power delivery.
The deal reflects how AI’s rapid growth is reshaping global energy strategy, as tech giants compete to secure uninterrupted electricity for data-heavy systems.
The company’s data centers consumed over 18,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2024 alone, enough to power more than 1.7 million U.S. homes for an entire year. With AI workloads increasing sharply, Meta has already committed to developing 30 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, focusing heavily on large-scale solar installations.
Satellites Power Solar Farms
At the core of the partnership is Overview Energy’s ambitious concept, harvesting solar energy in space and transmitting it to Earth. The four-year-old Virginia-based startup plans to deploy spacecraft capable of collecting solar power continuously without atmospheric interruption, then converting that energy into near-infrared light.
That light would be beamed down to large terrestrial solar farms, where it is converted into electricity. Unlike traditional proposals relying on lasers or microwave transmission, Overview uses a wide infrared beam designed to be safe and compatible with existing solar infrastructure.
The company argues this approach could bypass many of the regulatory and technical barriers that have slowed down space-based energy transmission concepts in the past.
A Gigawatt-Scale Agreement
Under the newly announced agreement, Meta has reserved capacity for up to 1 gigawatt of power from Overview’s future satellite network. While financial details remain undisclosed, the arrangement marks one of the first corporate commitments tied to orbital energy infrastructure at this scale.
Overview has introduced a new measurement unit for the deal, called “megawatt photons,” which represents the amount of transmitted light required to generate one megawatt of usable electricity on Earth.
The startup says it has already tested early versions of its technology through airborne demonstrations and is targeting its first orbital transmission mission in January 2028, using a low Earth orbit satellite.
Building a Solar Space Grid
Looking further ahead, Overview Energy plans to launch a full constellation of around 1,000 satellites into geosynchronous orbit. This high-altitude positioning would allow each satellite to remain fixed over a specific region on Earth, providing more consistent energy delivery.
Founder Marc Berte expects the system to begin scaling in 2030, with each satellite capable of operating for more than a decade. Once fully deployed, the network could theoretically provide coverage for roughly one-third of the planet at any given time, shifting energy delivery between regions as the Earth rotates.
The initial rollout is expected to prioritize regions spanning from the U.S. West Coast to Western Europe, where demand for AI computing power is especially strong.
Redefining Energy Markets
Beyond raw energy generation, the project is also designed to reshape how electricity is distributed and valued. By delivering power from orbit, Overview believes it can supply solar farms precisely when demand is highest, including nighttime hours when traditional solar generation drops to zero.
Berte argues that this flexibility could redefine energy economics. Instead of being tied to a single regional grid or market, space-based solar could allow providers to operate across multiple energy markets simultaneously, optimizing output in real time.
If successful, the Meta–Overview partnership could mark an early step toward a radically different global energy system, one where electricity is not just generated on Earth, but also delivered from space to meet the relentless demands of artificial intelligence.
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