Meta has entered an agreement with Overview Energy to secure electricity generated from space, using satellites that beam infrared light to solar farms to support data center operations after sunset.
Rising Energy Demand From AI Infrastructure
Meta’s data centers consumed more than 18,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, an amount comparable to powering over 1.7 million U.S. homes annually. The company has committed to developing 30 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, with a focus on large-scale solar installations, as demand for compute power continues to grow.
Traditional solar-powered data centers rely on battery storage or alternative energy sources to maintain operations at night, creating challenges for consistent power supply.
Space Based Solar Transmission Concept
Overview Energy is developing spacecraft designed to collect solar energy in orbit and convert it into near-infrared light. This energy is then transmitted to Earth using a wide beam aimed at solar farms, which convert the light back into electricity.
The company says this method avoids some of the technical and regulatory issues associated with high-power laser or microwave transmission. Marc Berte said the infrared beam is designed to be safe for human exposure.
Deployment Plans And Technology Milestones
Overview has demonstrated early-stage power transmission from an aircraft and plans to launch a satellite into low Earth orbit in January 2028 to test space-based transmission. The company aims to begin deploying operational satellites by 2030.
The long-term plan includes a constellation of approximately 1,000 satellites in geosynchronous orbit, each capable of delivering power for more than a decade. The network is expected to cover roughly one-third of the Earth, initially spanning from the U.S. West Coast to Western Europe.
Capacity Agreement And Energy Delivery Model
Meta has signed a capacity reservation agreement to receive up to 1 gigawatt of power from Overview’s system. The company did not disclose financial terms. Overview introduced a measurement called “megawatt photons” to represent the amount of transmitted light required to generate one megawatt of electricity.
As the Earth rotates and solar farms enter nighttime conditions, the satellite network would provide additional energy, extending the usable output of ground-based solar infrastructure.
Strategic Implications For Energy Distribution
The system is designed to deliver power flexibly across regions and time zones, allowing energy to be directed where demand is highest. Berte said this approach combines generation and transmission capabilities across multiple energy markets, enabling broader distribution compared to traditional localized energy systems.
Featured image credits: flickr
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