Miliband Targets The Sky With Radical Plan To Beam Energy From Space
•February 15, 2026
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Why It Matters
If realised, orbital solar could provide reliable, carbon‑free power at competitive rates, reshaping the UK’s energy security and decarbonisation strategy.
Key Takeaways
- •Orbital solar could deliver gigawatt-scale, constant power
- •Projected 2040 cost £87‑£129 per MWh
- •Public funding needed for early-stage satellite deployment
- •UK aims to lead with Space Solar startup partnership
- •Space‑based solar rivals offshore wind and new nuclear costs
Pulse Analysis
The United Kingdom is turning a speculative sci‑fi concept into a cornerstone of its net‑zero ambition. By commissioning a study that maps out orbital solar farms, policymakers aim to bypass the intermittency that hampers wind and rooftop photovoltaics. The technology hinges on ultra‑light panels mounted on satellites that harvest near‑continuous sunlight, convert it to microwave energy, and beam it to massive rectennas on the ground. This approach promises a steady, weather‑independent power supply, directly addressing the nation’s growing electricity demand and energy‑security concerns.
Cost competitiveness is the linchpin of the proposal’s viability. Early‑stage projects would demand heavy public investment to de‑risk private capital, yet the study projects a steep decline in levelized cost of electricity, reaching £87‑£129 per megawatt‑hour by 2040. Those figures sit alongside current offshore wind contracts and undercut the £150 per MWh forecast for new nuclear builds. Such economics could make space‑based solar not just a symbolic venture but a commercially attractive addition to the UK’s generation mix, potentially displacing fossil fuels and smoothing the output of intermittent renewables.
Strategically, the move signals a bold industrial bet for Britain, aligning with global momentum from the European Space Agency and China’s gigawatt‑scale orbital ambitions. Partnerships with startups like Space Solar and the UK Space Agency aim to accelerate hardware development and self‑assembling satellite capabilities. Success would cement the UK’s position at the forefront of a nascent market, creating high‑tech jobs and export opportunities while delivering a resilient, low‑carbon energy backbone for the mid‑century economy.
Miliband Targets The Sky With Radical Plan To Beam Energy From Space
Britain’s net zero strategy has taken a dramatic turn — upwards.
A government-commissioned study now argues that orbiting solar power stations could supply the UK with constant, large-scale electricity, bypassing the limits of wind, weather and daylight.
At the political centre of the proposal stands Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, whose 2050 decarbonisation pledge demands reliable clean power on an unprecedented scale.
How Orbiting Solar Would Work
The system is ambitious. Satellites equipped with ultra-light solar panels would operate in orbit, harvesting near-continuous sunlight. Electricity generated onboard would be converted into microwave radiation and transmitted to a vast ground receiver known as a rectenna. That installation would then convert the signal back into grid-ready power.
The attraction is consistency. Unlike offshore wind or rooftop panels, orbital platforms are unaffected by nightfall or cloud cover. The report suggests gigawatt-scale output could provide predictable, zero-carbon electricity capable of displacing both fossil fuels and intermittent renewables.
The Price Of Power In Space
Early deployment would not be cheap. The study warns that initial systems would require substantial public backing to reduce risk for investors. Without that support, the sheer scale of upfront capital could stall development.
Yet long-term projections are striking. By 2040, costs could fall to between £87 and £129 per megawatt hour. That places space-based solar broadly in line with some offshore wind contracts and potentially below projected new nuclear generation costs of around £150 per MWh.
If those figures hold, orbital power stations would not be symbolic. They would be commercially competitive infrastructure.
From Fiction To Engineering Reality
The concept is older than the space race. Isaac Asimov imagined orbital energy transmission in 1941. Arthur C Clarke later described wireless power from space-based solar farms.
Now agencies and companies are building hardware. The European Space Agency is advancing its Solaris research programme. China has declared ambitions for a gigawatt-scale orbital station by mid-century.
In the UK, start-up Space Solar is collaborating with the UK Space Agency on self-assembling solar power satellites designed to scale once in orbit.
A Strategic Energy Bet
Originally commissioned under former business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the study now lands in Miliband’s policy arena at a time of rising electricity demand and scrutiny over energy security.
Backing orbital solar would mark one of the boldest industrial bets in modern British energy policy. Rejecting it risks conceding leadership in a technology that, if successful, could redefine how nations power their economies.
The post Miliband Targets The Sky With Radical Plan To Beam Energy From Space appeared first on Orbital Today.
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