Google, Microsoft Out-Consume 100+ Countries in Energy Use

In 2023, the tech giants Google and Microsoft each consumed 24 TWh of electricity, surpassing the energy consumption of over 100 countries, according to a new study.

The analysis, conducted by Michael Thomas and published on the social network X, reveals that both companies used as much energy as the entire nation of Azerbaijan, which has a GDP of $78.7 billion. In contrast, Google’s revenue in 2023 was $307.4 billion, while Microsoft’s was $211.9 billion.

Thomas also compared their consumption with other countries: Iceland, Ghana, the Dominican Republic, and Tunisia each consumed 19 TWh, and Jordan consumed 20 TWh. Slightly higher consumption was noted for Libya (25 TWh) and Slovakia (26 TWh).

This enormous energy consumption by the two companies raises serious concerns about their environmental impact. The majority of this energy is used to power data centers that support cloud services and the new generation of artificial intelligence.

However, there is a positive aspect: with such resources and influence, Google and Microsoft have the potential to lead in sustainable development and the adoption of eco-friendly technologies. Both companies have already committed to becoming carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative by the end of the decade. They are actively investing in clean energy and implementing energy-saving technologies.

With market capitalizations of $2.294 trillion and $3.372 trillion respectively, Google and Microsoft rank second and fourth in the world by company value. The scale of their operations, comparable to that of entire nations, draws public attention as global economies continue to strive to prevent and mitigate environmental damage.