Meta Platforms has reached an agreement with Overview Energy to secure electricity generated by the startup’s proposed space-based solar energy system for Meta’s data centers by the end of the decade, the companies said.
Overview Energy is developing an infrastructure designed to collect solar energy in orbit and transmit it to ground facilities so it can be converted to power around the clock. The companies said an initial orbital demonstration of the technology is expected in 2028, with commercial deliveries slated for 2030.
Under the deal, Meta has been granted early access to up to 1 gigawatt of capacity from Overview’s system. The firms did not disclose the financial terms of the arrangement.
Nat Sahlstrom, vice president of energy and sustainability at Meta, described the approach as a major advance, saying: "Space solar technology represents a transformative step forward by leveraging existing terrestrial infrastructure to deliver new, uninterrupted energy from orbit."
Meta’s move follows a wider pattern among large technology companies to secure long-term energy supplies as growing demand from artificial intelligence applications and a data center build-out put strain on the U.S. power grid. The companies also cited pressure from environmental and consumer groups as a factor driving interest in new sources of power.
The social media company is constructing several gigawatt-scale data centers across the United States, including a site in rural Louisiana. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the Louisiana project would cost $50 billion and would occupy an area comparable in size to a significant part of Manhattan.
Meta has also formed partnerships with other power providers, including Vistra, Oklo and TerraPower, positioning the company as one of the largest corporate purchasers of nuclear power in the world.
The agreement with Overview Energy gives Meta access to a novel energy supply option that the company and its peers are evaluating as they expand compute capacity and seek to manage grid impacts and stakeholder concerns. The timeline for demonstration and commercialization provided by Overview sets clear milestones for when orbital solar could move from testing to commercial scale.
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