Meta is betting big on two energy technologies that sound more like science fiction than utility planning: space-emitting solar and long-duration storage designed to hold renewable energy for days. In new advertisement Published today, the company said it is teaming up with Overview Energy and Noon Energy to help support AI infrastructure and data center operations with more reliable power.
The message behind this ad is clear and straightforward: AI is power-hungry, and the clean energy systems that power today’s grid are still limited. Solar generation stops when the sun goes down, wind production changes with the weather, and storage remains one of the most difficult parts of building a more resilient energy system. Meta said the two partnerships are designed to address these issues from two opposite directions, one by expanding generation and the other by expanding storage.
Implementing the broader energy strategy
Overview The energy approach is the more futuristic of the two. The company plans to place satellites in geosynchronous orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth, where sunlight is constant, collecting energy in space and sending it back to solar installations on Earth as low-intensity near-infrared light. These solar farms will then convert the beam into electricity and feed it into the grid, using infrastructure that already exists rather than needing entirely new land or building transmission lines. Meta said the arrangement would allow it to deploy up to 1 gigawatt of power from orbit to the grid, making the company one of the first major technology companies to secure space-based solar capacity.
The appeal of this model is clear. Existing solar farms often remain idle after sunset, but if solar energy were transmitted into space on a large scale, these facilities could continue to produce power around the clock. The idea is not just to add more generation, but to make more use of renewable assets that already exist, Meta said. The company added that the orbital demonstration of Overview is scheduled for 2028, with commercial delivery to the US network potentially starting as early as 2030 if the test is successful.
The Noon Energy partnership takes a different route. Instead of generating new electricity, they focus on keeping clean energy available for much longer than traditional batteries can. Noon’s technology uses modular, reversible solid oxide fuel cells and carbon-based storage to provide more than 100 hours of energy storage, far beyond what current lithium-ion systems can typically handle, Meta said. Under the agreement, Meta has allocated up to 1 GW and 100 GWh of long-duration storage capacity, with an initial pilot project of 25 MW and 2.5 GWh expected to be completed in 2028.
This scope makes the agreement noticeable even before the technology is deployed. Meta described it as one of the largest commitments to long-term storage in the industry, arguing that storage of this type can enhance grid resilience and support baseload capacity. Artificial intelligence infrastructure Day and night. In practical terms, this means a better chance of keeping data centers online with cleaner electricity even when renewable supply fluctuates.
Building the infrastructure for an artificial intelligence economy
The company framed both deals as part of a broader energy strategy rather than one-off experiments. Meta said it has already contracted for more than 30 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy, representing billions of dollars in capital investment, and noted ongoing work with Sage Geosystems and XGS Energy on next-generation geothermal energy. It also said it is among the largest buyers of nuclear power in U.S. history, backing 7.7 gigawatts through agreements with Vistra, TerraPower, Oklo and Constellation Energy.
Together, the new partnerships underscore how aggressively big technology companies are moving to secure the energy supply of the future. For Meta, the goal is not just to meet the growing power demands of AI, but to do so in a way that helps modernize the network itself. The company’s argument is that the energy transition will need more than just familiar tools like solar panels and batteries; It will also require technologies that go beyond current limits and make existing infrastructure work harder.
Both technologies are still at an early stage, and each faces clear technical and commercial hurdles. But that’s exactly why Meta says it supports them now. The company believes that the energy system needed for the AI economy of the future will not be built by waiting for mature solutions alone. It will also depend on supporting ideas that can change what clean energy can deliver.
