Renewed interest in space solar power

A growing interest in the commercial development of space and a recognized need for noncarbon energy sources are spurring a reexamination of the prospects for generating large amounts of electricity from space-based solar power systems. Technological advances over the past 20 years are casting a more favorable light on the technical and economic feasibility of large-scale space solar power, and continued progress is anticipated. But keeping the effort moving forward for the next several decades will require international public-private cooperation and investment by both the government and commercial sectors. Scientists and engineers have identified a variety of potential applications for solar power in space that could become interim markets for developing and deploying the technology on the way toward an ultimate realization of beaming solar electricity to Earth.