Google's energy consumption has risen significantly, driven largely by its data centers and the growing demands of AI. In 2023, Google consumed 25.9 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity, up from 12.8 TWh in 2019, with data centers accounting for 95.8% of its energy use in 2024, reaching 30.8 million megawatt-hours (MWh). This reflects a doubling of data center energy use from 14.4 million MWh in 2020 and a sevenfold increase from an estimated 4 million MWh in 2014. The surge is attributed to AI-driven workloads, with global data center electricity consumption estimated at 240–340 TWh, or 1–1.3% of global demand. A single Google search uses about 0.0003 kWh (1.08 kJ), equivalent to powering a 60W light bulb for 17 seconds, while AI queries can consume up to 10 times more.
Google has pursued efficiency, achieving a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.09 in 2024, close to the ideal of 1.0, compared to an industry average of 1.57. Since 2017, Google has matched 100% of its electricity use with renewable energy purchases, primarily solar and wind, making it one of the largest corporate buyers of clean energy, with 8 gigawatts of clean energy capacity contracted in 2024. However, only 66% of its data center consumption is matched hourly with carbon-free energy, with regional variations (e.g., 92% in Latin America, 5% in the Middle East and Africa). Google aims for 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, investing in geothermal, nuclear, and fusion energy to address intermittency challenges. Its 2023 greenhouse gas emissions were 14.3 million metric tons of CO2, a 48% increase since 2019, driven by data center expansion and supply chain emissions.
Water usage is another concern, with Google’s data centers and offices consuming 6.4 billion gallons in 2023, up 17% from the previous year, partly due to AI cooling needs. The company uses air-cooling in water-scarce regions like Mesa, Arizona, and has diverted 78% of operational waste from landfills. Despite efficiency gains, the rapid growth of AI workloads poses challenges to Google’s net-zero emissions goal by 2030.
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