Elon Musk has given up on solar power (on Earth)

Elon Musk’s pivot from terrestrial solar to natural gas for xAI and orbital data centers for SpaceX signals a strategic retreat from ground-based renewable AI infrastructure. This matters for 2026 because AI’s insatiable energy demand will accelerate reliance on fossil fuels and space-based compute, reshaping the economics of power procurement and grid-scale carbon offsets.