Meta Signs Deal for Space-Based Solar Power to Fuel AI Data Centers
April 27, 2026
Meta Signs Deal for Space-Based Solar Power to Fuel AI Data Centers
Meta Platforms has entered into a groundbreaking partnership to harness solar energy collected in space to power its artificial intelligence data centers, marking a significant step in the tech industry’s search for reliable, round-the-clock clean energy solutions. The deal underscores the escalating energy demands driven by the expansion of AI infrastructure, which requires massive and continuous power to operate.
The social media giant announced it has secured a capacity reservation with Overview Energy for up to 1 gigawatt of space-based solar power to support its data center operations, making Meta one of the first major technology companies to commit to this emerging energy source. Overview Energy is currently developing and testing its underlying technology, with plans to conduct an initial orbital demonstration in 2028. Meta expects to begin accessing the energy by the end of the decade.
Meta explained that traditional solar facilities on Earth only generate electricity when the sun is shining, leaving them idle for significant portions of the day. Overview Energy’s approach aims to “unlock these idle hours” by deploying satellites in geosynchronous orbit, roughly 22,000 miles above the Earth’s equator, where sunlight is constant. These satellites collect energy in space and beam it to ground-based solar facilities as low-intensity, near-infrared light. This process allows solar farms that currently sit idle at night to “keep producing electricity around the clock, maximising their output and creating more energy for the grid,” according to Meta. The company added that these facilities can convert the beam into electricity without requiring additional land or grid infrastructure.
“Because the technology will build on solar infrastructure that’s already in place rather than requiring new facilities, it can come online faster at scale than traditional buildouts,” Meta stated, highlighting the potential for rapid deployment.
In addition to the space solar initiative, Meta revealed a separate partnership with Noon Energy to deploy up to 1 gigawatt-hour of “long-duration” energy storage. Meta claims this technology will enable 24/7 clean, reliable power for next-generation AI data centers. The company noted that even with new sources of power generation, the grid needs storage capable of carrying clean energy for extended periods, beyond a few hours and into days at a time. Meta has reserved the storage capacity, with an initial 2.5 gigawatt-hour pilot demonstration project expected to be completed in 2028.
These dual agreements reflect a broader industry trend as hyperscale cloud providers and AI developers seek to secure sustainable, baseload power for energy-intensive computing workloads. By investing in both space-based solar generation and long-duration storage, Meta is positioning itself to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the intermittency challenges that have long plagued renewable energy sources. The moves could set a precedent for how other tech giants approach the growing tension between AI innovation and environmental commitments.
Source: mobileworldlive
