• Patrick Collins
• Yuliman Purwanto
• Xu Chuang Ji
• X C Ji

In both China and Indonesia electricity demand is expected to grow by several hundred % over coming decades. In order to supply this it will be necessary to use sources of electric power that are environmentally clean. Security of future power supply also favours the use of a variety of different energy sources rather than over-dependence on a few.

The construction and operation of "rectenna" power stations for reception of microwave power beams delivered from large orbiting solar-powered satellites is a potential candidate for a new-generation power supply system in the future (1). This would benefit countries with natural advantages of large area and low labour costs. Thus, if such a system is developed, it could in principle become an attractive new source of electric power in both China and Indonesia - provided that the price charged per unit of energy in the incoming beams is competitive.