Brae Systems Commits to Multibillion-Dollar 20-Year PPA for 100 MW of Orbital Solar From Virtus Solis

A builder of underwater data centers has agreed to purchase continuous solar power generated in space from Virtus Solis Technologies, Inc., under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement announced September 30, 2026.

Groundbreaking Space-Based Solar Power Agreement

The contract, described by the companies as the world's first commercial space-based solar PPA, carries a multibillion-dollar lifetime gross commitment and will supply Brae's advanced computing infrastructure with 24/7 power from orbit.

Virtus Solis, a company headquartered in Michigan and Chicago, describes the agreement as the first in a series of commercial offtake deals it expects to sign over the coming months, positioning the contract as an anchor customer relationship for its emerging orbital generation business.

Capacity, Delivery Point, and Growth Option

Under the terms announced, Virtus Solis will deliver 100 MW of round-the-clock orbital solar baseload power, equal to 876,000 MWh annually, through a dedicated terrestrial receiving station to be built in Illinois.

That station will convert beamed orbital power into grid-deliverable electricity for Brae's operations. The contract also contains an expansion option: Brae may increase its committed capacity to 250 MW within three years of initial commercial operations, a level that would raise annual delivery to 2.19 million MWh.

The press release announcing the deal does not specify a timeline for when initial commercial operations will begin.

The Technology Behind the Contract

Virtus Solis generates power in space, where solar generation is unaffected by the day-night cycle, weather, or atmospheric losses that constrain surface-based solar farms.

The company transmits that energy to the ground using high-efficiency radio-frequency power beaming, delivering electricity to ground-based receiving stations rather than relying on surface generation assets.

Because the power arrives continuously, the company says its approach requires none of the costly battery storage that terrestrial solar and wind depend on to manage intermittency.

Virtus Solis guarantees 99.9% uptime and describes its offering as true zero-carbon baseload generation. Its architecture relies on mass-manufactured modular satellite arrays and wireless power transmission, with a stated mission of providing abundant, low-cost, zero-carbon baseload energy to terrestrial receivers worldwide.

ARPA-E Support and a 2027 Demonstration

Virtus Solis is developing what it calls a new asset class of orbital generation, along with a new class of power electronics needed to enable it. That work is supported by a USD 2 million corporate development agreement with ARPA-E, the Department of Energy's advanced research agency.

The company's next major proof point is scheduled for March 2027, when it will perform its first public technical demonstration. Virtus Solis expects the demonstration to yield record Wireless Power Transfer efficiencies, though the announcement does not disclose the location or further technical details.

The company frames the event as the key validation milestone ahead of commercial delivery under the Brae contract.

Why an Underwater Data Center Builder Wants Orbital Power

Brae Systems builds high-performance GPU compute infrastructure by deploying purpose-built data centers in underwater environments. Placing compute modules in marine settings eliminates terrestrial land constraints and sharply reduces cooling and construction overhead, drawing on what the company describes as unlimited, free liquid cooling from the surrounding ocean.

The company argues that pairing subsea GPU clusters with baseload orbital power addresses the two greatest bottlenecks facing AI infrastructure: escalating thermal loads and regional grid power shortages. Brae currently rents GPU capacity directly to customers and positions its offering around high-density artificial intelligence and high-performance computing workloads.

"AI workloads require an unprecedented leap in both energy availability and thermal efficiency," said Vishnu Indukuri, Chief Executive Officer of Brae Systems. "Brae engineered underwater data centers to unlock natural free liquid cooling and bypass terrestrial bottlenecks. Securing a direct 20-year supply of firm, clean power from Virtus Solis ensures our GPU infrastructure operates with predictable power costs and zero carbon emissions, completely insulated from terrestrial grid curtailment."

Virtus Solis Frames the Deal as an Inflection Point

"Signing the world's first commercial RF space solar power purchase agreement represents an inflection point for the global energy transition and the future of compute," said John Bucknell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Virtus Solis Technologies.

"High-performance AI data centers demand uninterrupted, gigawatt-scale power that strained terrestrial grids simply cannot deliver cleanly. Our orbital solar architecture bypasses terrestrial land and atmospheric constraints, providing firm, reliable baseload electricity at scale. In Brae, we have found an ideal, forward-thinking partner rethinking compute infrastructure from first principles."

Bucknell is scheduled to appear as an invited speaker at the Space Solar Power Symposium hosted by POWER Magazine and The Space Frontier Foundation on September 30, 2026, in Washington, D.C. There he will join the keynote and debate session titled "Why Space Belongs in the Energy Room."

The Two Companies Behind the Agreement

Virtus Solis Technologies concentrates on space-based solar power delivered through mass-manufactured modular satellite arrays and wireless power transmission, targeting utility-scale, around-the-clock electricity for terrestrial receivers. It markets its product as low-cost, zero-carbon baseload energy.

Brae Systems takes a deliberately unconventional approach to siting compute infrastructure. Rather than competing for land, grid interconnects, and cooling capacity on shore, it deploys purpose-built data centers underwater, where it accesses free cooling and, under this agreement, a dedicated long-term power supply beamed from orbit.

Near-Term Milestones to Watch

Several dates and deliverables now shape the path from announcement to operations. Virtus Solis's public wireless power transfer demonstration is expected in March 2027.

The Illinois receiving station that will turn beamed orbital power into grid-deliverable electricity is yet to be constructed. Brae holds its option to scale from 100 MW to 250 MW within three years of the initial commercial operations date, whenever that is set. Beyond this contract, Virtus Solis signals that more offtake agreements are coming.

The company says it expects to close additional commercial deals over the next several months, indicating an intent to build a customer base for orbital baseload power that extends well beyond this single anchor arrangement with Brae Systems.