Meta Secures Up to 1 GW of Space-Based Solar Power for AI Data Centers

Gate News message, April 28 — Meta announced on Monday that it signed an agreement with Virginia-based startup Overview Energy to secure up to 1 gigawatt of electricity from a planned space-based solar power system for its data centers by the end of the decade. The power will be generated in orbit and beamed to Earth, addressing growing energy demands driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Overview Energy plans to collect constant sunlight from geosynchronous orbit and transmit it via microwave or laser beam to solar facilities on Earth, enabling 24-hour continuous, carbon-free power generation. The company successfully demonstrated the core technology last year by transmitting power from a moving aircraft to a ground receiver. Meta's deal is structured around technology milestones, giving the company preferential access to the full 1 GW capacity once those targets are met.

Meta also announced a partnership with Noon Energy for more than 100 hours of energy storage. An initial 25-megawatt, 2.5-gigawatt-hour pilot project is planned for 2028, with plans to scale toward a full 1 GW/100 GWh capacity. The company has previously backed more than 30 gigawatts of new energy projects across 28 states, including wind, solar, nuclear, and geothermal sources.