Meta and Virginia-based Overview Energy announced on April 27, 2026, that Meta had reserved early access to up to 1 gigawatt of proposed space-based solar power for its AI infrastructure. The company announcement calls the deal a capacity reservation agreement, not confirmation that satellites are supplying electricity or that a gigawatt has been purchased and delivered.

Key Takeaways

• The agreement reserves access to as much as 1 GW of future capacity, with financial terms undisclosed.
• Overview aims to test orbital power beaming in 2028 and begin commercial grid delivery in 2030.
• The proposed system would direct low-intensity near-infrared light toward existing ground-based solar farms.
• No commercial orbit-to-grid system at this scale has been demonstrated under the agreement.

How Solar Power From Space Would Work

Overview proposes placing large solar-energy collectors in geosynchronous orbit, approximately 22,000 miles above Earth. Instead of sending electricity through a cable, satellites would convert collected power into a directed near-infrared light beam. Existing terrestrial photovoltaic sites would receive that light and convert it into grid electricity, potentially operating after sunset.

This official Meta explanation includes a short visualization of the proposed satellite-to-solar-farm process. It is a conceptual animation, not footage of an operational orbital power station.

Why the 1 GW Number Needs Context

A gigawatt is 1,000 megawatts of power capacity, but a reservation for future capacity is not the same as continuously delivering 1 GW. Commercial viability still depends on launch economics, satellite maintenance, transmission losses, receiver performance, orbital operations and regulatory approvals. Overview says it has previously beamed power from a moving aircraft; that does not establish performance from orbit.

For deeper context, see our 24/7 solar data-center explainer, orbital solar assembly coverage, capacity-factor guide, and AI data-center generator financing report.

What Comes Next

The key milestones are the proposed 2028 orbital demonstration and successful electrical delivery to the grid, which both partners target for 2030. A Polymarket Money social post also circulated the agreement, but Meta and Overview’s published statements provide the authoritative terms. Until large-scale tests succeed, the 1 GW figure remains a forward-looking capacity target.

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