Former SpaceX employees want to power AI with solar energy

Two former SpaceX specialists have unveiled an unexpected project for hyperscalers. They are building power plants on Earth that are cheaper and faster to construct than natural gas stations, moving away from space-related ventures. The previously stealthy startup, Ambrosia Energy, aims to provide continuous, round-the-clock energy by combining solar panels with lithium-ion batteries. This is reported by Techcrunch.com .

In an interview with TechCrunch, Sara Spangelo, founder and president of Ambrosia Energy, stated that the company plans to launch power plants of any scale within 12 months of signing a contract. The startup's goal is to reach gigawatt-level capacity. To reduce costs, engineers have simplified the battery packs: the system charges slowly during the day and discharges steadily at night, which extends the equipment's lifespan.

Currently, the cost of one megawatt-hour of energy at the most efficient gas turbine plants is approximately $107, and they take 5 to 7 years to build. Ambrosia promises to bring this figure down to $100 while increasing reliability. This is particularly crucial in the era of AI, where energy consumption is surging due to technologies like ChatGPT.

Sara Spangelo and CEO Ben Longmier previously worked on the Starlink project at SpaceX. Their startup, Swarm, was acquired by Elon Musk's company. Spangelo previously gained experience at Google, and Longmier at Apple. The project has currently secured investment from DFJ Growth, as the founders apply their expertise from space technology to the energy sector.