It looks like ultimate goal of this is creating a self-sustaining fusion reactor approximately 1AU away from earth (for safety) and using photovoltaic arrays to absorb the energy... Ingenious!

This truly is a miracle of modern science, something we could only accomplish in this day and age.

That's what OP was implying. Energy (..and its derivative global warming ) is just infrastructure and finance problem now onwards. Balancing grid, Moving power from sunshine area to non-sunshine area, storing some power at night, handling fluctuation all are more or less solved problem. Fusion is just research subject ( ..or for may be powering colony on mars ? ). ..... saying that, I hope our collective curiosity for fusion will take us to new inventions and space opportunities.

yes, exactly, no need for any fusion reactors in space. Collect space solar energy and beam it back to earth via microwave radiation.

Space solar is an old idea and the Soviets/Russians have worked on it since the 70's; and nowadays, like most other Russian inventions the Chinese are commercializing it. https://www.ft.com/content/2d43ed21-9f9d-4e90-a18b-ad46f0a47...