Hold onto your kilowatts, folks—Google and Microsoft are now guzzling more electricity than entire nations. Yes, you heard me right. According to Michael Thomas’s analysis, these tech behemoths each consumed 24 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2023. That’s on par with the entire energy consumption of Azerbaijan, a country with a GDP of nearly $79 billion. To put this in perspective, Iceland, Ghana, and the Dominican Republic each consumed 19 TWh, while Jordan used 20 TWh. Even Libya and Slovakia barely outpaced these tech titans, consuming 25 TWh and 26 TWh respectively.
This staggering energy usage is a stark reminder of the colossal scale at which these companies operate. It’s not just about the mind-boggling revenue figures—$307.4 billion for Google and $211.9 billion for Microsoft—but the environmental footprint they leave behind. Their data centres, powering everything from cloud storage to the latest in artificial intelligence, are voracious energy consumers. And while both companies have made pledges to go carbon-free or even carbon-negative by the decade’s end, the current reality is a bit like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.
But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. These companies are also uniquely positioned to lead the charge towards more sustainable practices. With market caps of $2.294 trillion for Google and $3.372 trillion for Microsoft, they have the financial muscle to make significant investments in renewable energy. And they have been scaling up their efforts in cleaner energy and energy matching. The question is, will it be enough, and will it be in time?
As we continue to grapple with climate change, the role of Big Tech in both contributing to and potentially mitigating environmental damage cannot be overstated. Their energy consumption isn’t just a statistic; it’s a clarion call for more sustainable practices across the board. So while we marvel at the marvels of modern technology, let’s also hold these companies accountable. After all, with great power consumption comes great responsibility.