Google and Microsoft Consume More Energy Than Several Big Countries

Google and Microsoft each consumed 24 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2023, surpassing the energy usage of over 100 countries, according to research by Michael Thomas. This amount of energy consumption is comparable to that of Azerbaijan, which has a GDP of $78.7 billion and a population of over 10 million. The significant electricity usage of these tech giants, fueled by their data centers that power cloud services and AI-related technologies, has raised concerns about environmental impacts.

Both companies have acknowledged these concerns and have pledged to become carbon-free or carbon-negative by the end of the decade. They have already made substantial investments in renewable energy and energy matching to mitigate their environmental footprint. Despite these efforts, Google's greenhouse gas emissions have increased by almost 50% since 2019, and Microsoft's total carbon emissions have risen nearly 30% since 2020. With market capitalizations of $2.294 trillion and $3.372 trillion respectively, Google and Microsoft are among the world's most valuable companies, underscoring their influence and responsibility in addressing sustainability issues.