Meta reserves 1 GW of space solar and 100 GWh of storage for AI

The AI buildout is now colliding with the physical limits of the grid, and Meta is choosing to move upstream. In its April 27, 2026 infrastructure update, the company said it has reserved up to 1 GW of space solar capacity through Overview Energy and up to 1 GW/100 GWh of ultra-long-duration storage through Noon Energy. That is not a marginal sustainability gesture. It is a supply strategy for the power appetite of AI data centers.

The space-solar piece is the more unusual bet. Overview Energy’s system is designed to collect solar energy in geosynchronous orbit, where sunlight is constant, and beam it back to Earth-based solar farms as low-intensity near-infrared light. Meta says that could let existing solar facilities generate power beyond daylight hours without requiring new land or new grid infrastructure. If the technology works as planned, Overview’s orbital demonstration is slated for 2028, with commercial delivery to the U.S. grid possible as early as 2030.

The storage side is closer to deployment and easier to map to data-center economics. Meta says Noon Energy will provide over 100 hours of storage using reversible solid oxide fuel cells and carbon-based storage, far beyond typical lithium-ion duration. The reservation reaches up to 1 GW/100 GWh, and the initial pilot is set at 25 MW/2.5 GWh with a 2028 target. Meta calls it one of the largest commitments to ultra-long-duration storage in the industry. Whether that proves true in practice, the scale alone shows how seriously hyperscalers are starting to treat energy continuity as AI infrastructure, not just a facilities problem.

The larger context matters. Meta says it has already contracted more than 30 GW of clean and renewable energy and backs 7.7 GW of nuclear energy through other agreements. Read together, the message is straightforward: the next AI race is not only about chips, models, and data centers. It is also about who can secure reliable power years ahead of demand. Tech companies are no longer just electricity buyers. They are becoming early financiers of experimental generation and storage systems that might define how AI expansion stays online.