Meta Signs Deal for Space-Based Solar Power from Overview Energy

Meta has signed the first capacity reservation agreement with Overview Energy, a four-year-old Virginia startup, for up to 1 gigawatt of space-based solar power to supply AI data centers at night, though the technology does not yet exist. Meta's data centers consumed over 18,000 gigawatt-hours in 2024—enough to power 1.7 million American homes—driving the company's commitment to build 30 gigawatts of renewable sources. Overview Energy plans to launch its first demonstration satellite in January 2028 and begin fulfilling Meta's commitment in 2030 with a fleet of 1,000 spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit that beam near-infrared light to ground solar farms. Each spacecraft will operate for over 10 years, with initial coverage spanning from the U.S. West Coast to Western Europe across a third of the planet.

Meta's Growing Energy Demands for AI Infrastructure

• ▪Meta's 2024 data center electricity consumption was roughly enough to power more than 1.7 million American homes for a year.
• ▪Meta has committed to building 30 gigawatts of renewable power sources.
• ▪Meta's data centers used more than 18,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2024.

Overview Energy's Space-Based Solar Power Technology

• ▪Overview Energy is planning to launch a satellite to low Earth orbit in January 2028 to perform its first power transmission from space.
• ▪Overview Energy developed a new metric called megawatt photons, which is the amount of light required to generate a megawatt of electricity.
• ▪Overview Energy CEO Marc Berte says people will be able to stare directly into Overview Energy's satellite beam with no ill effects.
• ▪Overview Energy's initial deployment will reach from the West Coast of the United States across to Western Europe.
• ▪Each Overview Energy spacecraft is expected to provide power from space for more than 10 years.
• ▪Overview Energy has demonstrated power transmission to the ground from an aircraft.
• ▪Overview Energy plans to fly 1,000 spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.
• ▪Overview Energy is a four-year-old startup based in Ashburn, Virginia.
• ▪Overview Energy's technology targets solar farms on the order of hundreds of megawatts.
• ▪Overview Energy emerged from stealth in December 2024.
• ▪Overview Energy is developing spacecraft that collect solar power in space and convert it to near-infrared light to beam at solar farms.

The Meta-Overview Partnership and Deployment Timeline

• ▪Meta signed the first capacity reservation agreement with Overview Energy to receive up to 1 gigawatt of power from Overview Energy's spacecraft.
• ▪Marc Berte expects to begin launching satellites that would fulfill Meta's commitment in 2030.

Perspective of Overview Energy

• ▪Overview Energy's satellite beam is safe enough for people to stare directly into without ill effects according to CEO Marc Berte.
• ▪Overview Energy's spacecraft fleet covering a third of the planet will enable power delivery from the West Coast of the United States to Western Europe.

Perspective of Meta

• ▪Meta's 30 gigawatt renewable power commitment requires exploring emerging technologies like space-based solar beyond traditional industrial-scale solar plants.
• ▪Meta's agreement with Overview Energy for up to 1 gigawatt represents a capacity reservation for future space-based solar power rather than immediate delivery.

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