Tech giants Google and Microsoft will consume 24 TWh of electricity each in 2023, surpassing the consumption of more than 100 countries, according to a new study.
analysis by Michael Thomas, in the information shared on page X, both Google and Microsoft claim that they consume the same amount of energy as Azerbaijan, whose GDP is 78.7 billion dollars. Google’s revenue in 2023 is $307.4 billion, and Microsoft’s is $211.9 billion.
Massive energy use highlights the serious environmental impact of these companies. But it’s also a reminder of their sheer scale and the positive impact they can have on more sustainable initiatives.
Technology firms consume more than many countries
Iceland, Ghana, the Dominican Republic and Tunisia each consumed 19 TWh, while Jordan consumed 20 TWh, underscoring the sheer scale of the two tech firms. Libya (25 TWh) and Slovakia (26 TWh) consumed slightly more energy.
A comparison between the entire country and two single companies highlights Big Tech’s enormous energy demands. Consumption also points to the environmental impacts of data centers used to power cloud services, including storage and computing, as well as next-generation artificial intelligence.
The significant electricity consumption of these companies calls for ongoing discussions around sustainability and the adoption of renewable energy. Both Google and Microsoft have committed to be carbon-free or carbon-negative by the end of the decade, and investments in cleaner energies and energy adaptation have already increased significantly.
With a market value of $2.294 trillion and $3.372 trillion, respectively, Google and Microsoft are currently the fourth and second most valuable companies in the world. The scale of their operations is more like a whole nation, with all eyes on them as the world’s economies continue to prevent and reverse environmental damage.