Overview Energy wants to beam energy from space to existing solar farms

Overview Energy, a newly revealed startup, aims to revolutionize solar power by deploying large solar arrays in geosynchronous orbit (about 22,000 miles above Earth) to harvest sunlight continuously. The company plans to convert this energy into infrared laser beams and transmit it down to existing utility-scale solar farms on Earth, enabling nearly 24/7 power delivery to the grid. This approach leverages current solar farm infrastructure, potentially reducing some costs and logistical challenges associated with building new ground stations. Overview Energy intends to launch a satellite into low Earth orbit in 2028 as a test before moving to geosynchronous orbit by 2030 to begin sending megawatts of power. Despite the promise, significant hurdles remain. Space-based solar power is still expensive compared to terrestrial solar panel deployment, and wireless energy transmission from orbit is in early development stages. Infrared laser transmission is sensitive to weather conditions, such as clouds and humidity, which can absorb the energy, unlike competing microwave-based systems that are less