A couple years ago I read a book[1] on space solar power. It was written before SpaceX really got going, and estimated a cost of 15 cents/kWh for a gigawatt-size solar power satellite in GEO.
Old designs from the 1970s were monolithic beasts, and would be horribly expensive even if launch were free. The new designs use a large number of small identical components (of seven or eight types), which self-assemble in orbit. That way you can mass-produce them.
I plugged SpaceX Starship launch costs into the book's estimate and got a total system cost of 5 cents/kWh, which is pretty good for steady clean power that doesn't need storage.
[1] The Case for Space Solar Power by John Mankins
Old designs from the 1970s were monolithic beasts, and would be horribly expensive even if launch were free. The new designs use a large number of small identical components (of seven or eight types), which self-assemble in orbit. That way you can mass-produce them.
I plugged SpaceX Starship launch costs into the book's estimate and got a total system cost of 5 cents/kWh, which is pretty good for steady clean power that doesn't need storage.
[1] The Case for Space Solar Power by John Mankins