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Meta and Overview Energy Announce 1-Gigawatt Space-Based Solar Power Project
Meta announced a partnership with startup Overview Energy on April 27, 2026, to develop space-based solar power capable of generating up to 1 gigawatt, equivalent to a nuclear reactor's output. The deal comes amid Big Tech's push for clean energy alternatives to power AI data centers, while the companies continue to rely on natural gas facilities.
May 3, 11:40 AM·1m read2 sources
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Meta signed a deal with startup Overview Energy to develop up to 1 gigawatt of space-based solar power. The agreement, announced on April 27, 2026, aims to create a solar power system in space that beams energy to Earth even during darkness. Overview Energy, which seeks to put solar satellites into Earth's orbit to harvest sunlight continuously, plans to launch a pilot satellite by 2028.
The 1 gigawatt capacity matches the energy output of a nuclear reactor. Commercial viability for space-based solar remains years away, with some projections pointing to cost-competitiveness by 2040. Meta, the company behind Facebook, entered this partnership to address the growing energy needs of its data centers.
Big Tech firms, including Meta and Google, are investing in next-generation geothermal energy research. These efforts use enhanced drilling methods adapted from the oil and gas sector and, in some cases, nuclear fusion techniques to access Earth's heat from nearly any surface location. The investments reflect a broader push toward clean energy alternatives.
Silicon Valley leaders see nuclear fusion as a potential solution for AI's energy demands. " Despite these ambitions, Meta is funding 10 new gas-fired plants for its data center campus in rural Louisiana. Google is developing a massive natural gas facility attached to a data center campus in North Texas.
These projects underscore the companies' current dependence on fossil fuels to meet immediate AI-driven power requirements. Google's carbon emissions rose 48% in five years as of 2024. The company pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2030.
