Space-Based Solar Power Could Reach the Grid by 2028
Interest and investment in space-based solar power is accelerating as data-center-driven electricity demand climbs. Startups such as Overview Energy say they could begin beaming solar power from orbit to Earth grids within a few years, while analysts warn the technology faces major economic and logistical hurdles before it can compete with terrestrial options.
Why It Matters
If technically and economically viable, space solar could provide continuous, dispatchable low-carbon power and reduce land-use conflicts associated with large ground-based renewables. However, established experts and projections in the article caution that widespread cost competitiveness is unlikely before 2040 and that other round-the-clock clean sources may be cheaper.
Key Facts
- Startup: Overview Energy (Virginia-based, four years old)
- Target start of operations (claimed): January 2028
- Partnership: Deal with Meta to provide up to 1 gigawatt of space solar energy
- Potential contribution (company estimate): Could supply one-fourth of the U.S. energy demand growth over the next decade (company claim)
- Transmission methods discussed: Power beamed to Earth via high-power lasers or microwave beams (depending on approach)
Rising electricity demand tied to rapid expansion of large data centers has sharpened interest in unconventional power sources, including solar arrays placed in orbit. Proponents argue that space-based photovoltaics avoid the intermittency of ground solar by receiving sunlight continuously and could relay energy back to terrestrial grids using focused lasers or microwave transmission. Overview Energy, a Virginia startup founded about four years ago, is among the companies pushing to commercialize the concept. Its co-CEO, Darko Filipi, told the Washington Post the firm believes it can deliver utility-scale power from orbit and has set an ambitious timeline to begin delivering to grids as early as January 2028. Earlier this year the company signed an agreement with Meta to supply up to 1 gigawatt of space-derived power — roughly comparable to a single nuclear-reactor output — though the technologies involved have not yet been proven in real-world operations. Skeptics emphasize economic and logistical barriers. The article cites an expert, Amory Lovins of RMI, who said the technology might be feasible technically but expressed doubts about its economics. Even optimistic industry forecasts in the piece indicate that space-based solar is unlikely to become cost-competitive before about 2040. The article also notes that established dispatchable clean options such as nuclear and geothermal can already produce continuous power more cheaply in many cases. A major driver behind renewed interest is land scarcity for utility-scale ground renewables. The piece references a McKinsey insight that large wind and solar installations require far more land per unit of power than fossil-fuel plants, and public resistance to large ground projects has grown in some rural areas. Supporters of orbital solar highlight that satellites could target and beam electricity exactly where it’s needed, potentially easing land-use constraints and enhancing energy-security flexibility if the engineering, regulatory, and cost challenges can be overcome.
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