Defence and Remote Power: the First Paying Customers
Why are militaries likely to buy space-beamed power before utilities, and what would they pay?
Chapter summary
because fuel delivered to remote and contested bases is extraordinarily expensive and dangerous, and resilience is worth more than cheap energy.
Key takeaways
- 1
Delivering diesel to forward bases can cost many times the fuel's price once convoys, protection and logistics are counted, and convoys are targets.
- 2
The US Air Force contracted Overview Energy in May 2026 for a year-long study of space-based solar power in contested logistics environments, with Guam among scenarios; the Pentagon's operational energy programme has funded power-beaming hardware, including Aetherflux's demonstration and Overview's homing beacon; AFRL has its SSPIDR programme and DARPA its POWER programme.
- 3
A kilowatt-to-megawatt laser system that reduces fuel deliveries could pay off at costs far above grid prices.
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