3 Figure 4. U.S. Electricity Generation by Technology. [Left] Share of U.S. Electricity Generation by Technology in 2021, (EIA, 2022). [Right] Projected share of U.S. Electricity Generation by Technology in 2050, (EIA, 2022). Many countries have ongoing SBSP studies, design concepts, and technology development activities including the U.S., the United Kingdom, the EU, Japan, China, South Korea, and Australia. In the U.S., for example, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) completed the first successful electricity beaming demonstration from space to ground in June 2023 (Caltech, 2023). In general, this work is funded and conducted by academic, commercial, and government communities motivated by economic development, net zero, and national policy goals. Figure 4 displays a map of current international SBSP activity. The SBSP concepts described in this report focus on civil applications of SBSP to deliver electricity to the power grid. SBSP is being pursued by different organizations for different use-cases. The resulting national benefits could extend beyond immediate fiscal returns or near-term GHG emissions reductions.
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