[bell-cot]

Vague recollection from studying this years ago...

The "receiver" is more-or-less a field "covered" by a spiderweb of bent coat-hanger wire. That doesn't block the sun, and making it huge (low power/sq. m) is quite cheap.

Since you don't want clouds/rain/fog to block the microwaves, the frequencies you use are ones which water does not absorb well. So if the beam hits a person...he probably can't even notice it.

[_fizz_buzz_]

But electronics probably would. I have fried a micro-controller with a leaky industrial microwave waveguide before.

[bell-cot]

Yes and no. On the (figurative) day when microwave power transmission becomes normal, designing & building electronics so they are relatively immune (or can leech power if needed) will also become normal. Because stuff that isn't immune will go wonky in enough circumstances (driving near a ground receiver, etc.) that consumers will notice, and get pissed.