tech
Google's AI buildout drove 37% increase in electricity use in 2025
Google tries balancing AI data center emissions with clean energy efforts.
TL;DR
- Google's electricity consumption rose by 37% in 2025, the largest increase in its history.
- The surge is attributed to the growth of Google Cloud, YouTube, and data centers supporting AI services.
- Data center energy usage in 2025 surpassed 42 million megawatt-hours, rivaling the consumption of entire countries.
- Google reported a 2% decrease in operational carbon emissions by purchasing 12 gigawatts of 'net-new clean energy'.
- Supply chain emissions increased by 25% due to reliance on grids with limited carbon-free energy.
- Google's total 'ambition-based emissions' increased by 18% between 2024 and 2025.
- The company is investing in diverse clean energy technologies, including nuclear, fusion, and geothermal.
- Concerns exist regarding a potential natural gas power plant for a Texas data center, which could emit millions of tons of CO2 annually.