How much electricity does AI use?
Facts as of October 11, 2026
In detail
In 2024, data centers worldwide used around 415 terawatt-hours of electricity, about 1.5 percent of total consumption. By 2030, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects around 945 terawatt-hours, more than double. In 2025, demand rose by 17 percent, and the demand of AI-focused data centers is expected to roughly triple by 2030.
According to the IEA, about half of the growth through 2035 will be covered by renewables, the rest in similar shares by gas and nuclear power. In the US, many operators are planning gas-fired power plants directly on site.
The single request is small: Google's 0.24 watt-hours is the median, for text only and without training. Data researcher Hannah Ritchie therefore considers an individual's use a rounding error in their own electricity consumption, but the growth of the system a real problem. The problem lies in the sum – and in the infrastructure built for that sum.
In practice
Thomas J. Weiss raised the question in a talk under “social responsibility,” together with work and the distribution of profits (see Will AI cost jobs – and who gets the profits?). He hasn't said so far how he weighs his own consumption.
Sources
- IEA: Energy and AI, summary (accessed 11.10.2026)
- IEA: press release of 16.04.2026 (accessed 11.10.2026)
- Google, 21.08.2025 (according to a reading dossier of 24.09.2026, not accessed again)
- Hannah Ritchie, August 2025 (according to the reading dossier)
Cite: Thomas J. Weiss: “How much electricity does AI use?” replicapong.de, as of October 11, 2026. https://replicapong.de/en/question/ai-energy-use/ – CC BY 4.0