Energy Policy & Regulation

For some time now, we’ve seen the race to develop non-fossil energy technology heat up, most emphatically in the nuclear arena. Large engineering firms have declared their intent to build modular reactors and smaller start-ups have declared they would operate prototype fusion reactors within years, not decades. 

We would rather bet on other possibilities, three especially. All are seemingly far-fetched, but perhaps less so than convincing people to live next door to a first-of-a-kind nuclear reactor. First is the solar power satellite. It’s like a solar thermal plant in space (think Ivanpah in CA), but instead of boiling water for steam turbines, they beam energy to Earth via microwaves. This is not a new idea, been around since the 1970s, but it is considered outrageously expensive at current space launch and transport costs. But it becomes more feasible if Space X makes its cost projections. We would also note that this doesn’t require any new technological breakthroughs— just for existing things like space launches to continue to decline in price.