Space Solar: 24/7 Clean Power with Overview Energy

Marc Berte is the Co-founder and CEO of Overview Energy, a startup developing space-based solar power systems designed to turn existing solar farms into around-the-clock power generators. By placing satellites in geosynchronous orbit, collecting near-continuous sunlight, and beaming energy back to Earth as safe near-infrared light, Overview aims to dramatically increase the utilization of solar infrastructure already deployed around the world.  In this episode of Inevitable, Marc explains how space solar works and how Overview’s approach differs from decades of prior space solar concepts. He talks about the economics of “photon fuel,” the company’s gigawatt-scale agreement with Meta, and the concept of “supply response”—delivering power exactly where and when grids need it most.  The conversation explores the manufacturing challenges of deploying thousands of satellites, the role of defense and energy security applications, and why the long-term value of solar assets could change dramatically if space-based power delivery becomes commercially viable.  Finally, he shares one of the more unconventional engineering stories you'll hear this year: how 75 pounds of Otter Pops helped cool Overview’s airborne power-beaming demonstration system. Episode recorded on June 1, 2026 (Published June 16, 2026) In this episode, we cover:  (0:00) An overview of Overview Energy (2:34) Why space solar belongs alongside fusion, fission, geothermal, and storage  (4:30) How geosynchronous satellites shift power between global demand peaks  (5:59) The concept of “supply response”  (8:57) How Overview’s power-beaming technology works  (12:51) Cloud cover and line-of-sight requirements (15:32) Creating a new energy market with “megawatt photons” (17:00) Overview’s gigawatt-scale agreement with Meta  (22:32) The economics of adding photon fuel to existing solar assets  (26:22) Competing with gas peakers and complementing storage  (36:38) US manufacturing advantages and competition with China  (39:26) Defense, energy security, and powering remote military installations  (42:48) Financing space-based energy infrastructure  (48:10) The Otter Pop engineering story behind the airborne demonstration system Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at [email protected] with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant