This sounds like sarcasm, but yes: solar collectors in close orbit around the sun, huge flying parabolic mirrors focusing solar energy that's already 7-10x more dense than it is at 1 AU, beaming that energy to receivers sitting in orbit around the Earth (perhaps at Lagrange 1 and, via L4/L5, L2 to reach the night side of the planet), relayed in to near earth orbit satellites, and being beamed down to many surface locations at safe intensities that might well be used to boil ocean water, driving steam turbines and producing fresh water (and salt).

Such a system could provide energy dense power to the entire solar system (skipping the steam turbine step for most locations, and going pure solar electric), up to large installations for entire planets, and down to individual spaceships.

I'm not suggesting we'll do it tomorrow. But within a hundred years, if we get and keep our shit together..?

You wouldn't beam energy directly from near-solar orbit to the surface of the Earth; you would relay it to orbiting receivers around the planet, which would in turn beam it to the surface, and reaching the night-side as well as day-side.