1MW Solar Powered Laser Made in Uzbekistan

vadaenergy via Wikipedia  (filed in Solar Power on Mar.25, 2009)

Seems to correlate with the Coaster series, so here goes...

• Uzbek researchers want to make a 40-meter tower, tapped with 62 electronically controllable mirrors, arranged in a concave form that focus the Sun’s power onto a solar furnace. The mirrors almost have half the size of a football field, and the whole system is able to focus 1MW of energy into the furnace.
• The accomplishment of the project “Development of optimal technology of conversion of solar energy into laser emission” is coordinated by the youngest Research Center of the country - the Institute of Materials Science SPU “Physics-Sun” of the Uzbek Academy of Science. 
• The solar furnace will be able to bear temperatures of up to 3000 degrees Celsius.
• The biggest problem for the laser system developers became the prevention of its overheating.
• A computer controls the cooling of the multi-crystal shanks of the laser with distilled water. 

More here.  An updated article (9/2011 or a year ago) on Science Daily- Parabolic mirrors concentrate sunlight to power lasers

A pdf file of Japanese researchers who want to beam power from space to the ground.  If Kirk Sorensen is right, this is a mistake.  Why beam power to the ground?  Use the power to beam power to stuff already in space, like a spacecraft.