FYI,

"Farming Solar Energy in Space - Shrugging off massive costs, Japan
pursues space-based solar arrays"
Scientific American
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=farming-solar-energy-in-space

: In a recent spin-off of the classic Japanese animated series
: Mobile Suit Gundam, the depletion of fossil fuels has forced
: humanity to turn to space-based solar power generation as global
: conflicts rage over energy shortages. The sci-fi saga is set in the
: year 2307, but even now real Japanese scientists are working on the
: hardware needed to realize orbital generators as a form of clean,
: renewable energy, with plans to complete a prototype in about
: 20 years.

: The concept of solar panels beaming down energy from space has long
: been pondered—and long been dismissed as too costly and
: impractical. But in Japan the seemingly far-fetched scheme has
: received renewed attention amid the current global energy crisis
: and concerns about the environment. Last year researchers at the
: Institute for Laser Technology in Osaka produced up to 180 watts of
: laser power from sunlight. In February scientists in Hokkaido began
: ground tests of a power transmission system designed to send energy
: in microwave form to Earth.

Mark Reiff