Scientists Propose 1-Kilometer Space Power Beam to Ease Grid Strain
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 14
Scientists Propose 1-Kilometer Space Power Beam to Ease Grid Strain
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 14
Summary
A Northern Virginia research group is pitching a kilometer-wide power beam from satellites to Earth as a new way to relieve overloaded grids.
The concept would collect solar energy in space and transmit it to ground-based solar panels, sidestepping a core weakness of conventional solar power: it stops generating after sunset.
Data centers are a key target for the technology, and the report says space solar—once a fringe idea—is now drawing serious investment as power demand climbs.
The proposal frames orbital power transmission as a potential answer to broader energy shortages, extending solar generation beyond daylight hours.