Over just four years, Google’s electricity use for its data centers has more than doubled. The company’s latest environmental report shows that by 2024, these centers consumed nearly 31 million (or 30.8 million to be exact) megawatt-hours of electricity. Back in 2020, their consumption was less than half that. This steep rise reflects the company’s fast-growing need for computing power as its digital services continue to expand.
Google’s growing electricity demand is almost entirely tied to its data centers. In 2024, these centers accounted for over 95% of the company’s total energy use. Although Google only began releasing detailed data center energy figures in 2020, looking at the energy share across the years suggests that in 2014, its centers probably used just over 4 million megawatt-hours. That’s a sevenfold increase in just a decade.
Geothermal energy, which draws heat from underground, could become a reliable solution because it’s not affected by weather. Google has supported this technology by working with companies that aim to make geothermal projects successful in more regions.
On the nuclear side, Google has made long-term plans to purchase electricity from new power plants. The company has agreed to buy hundreds of megawatts from a fusion plant expected to start operating in the early 2030s. It has also arranged to get electricity from smaller fission reactors being developed by a startup. These nuclear sources won’t be available for several years, though.
Solar and wind, along with battery storage, remain the quickest paths to adding new clean power before the decade ends. Building new nuclear plants takes years of approvals and construction. Even adding more natural gas turbines now faces long waiting lists.
Although Google has purchased enough renewable energy to match its annual electricity use on paper, this doesn’t mean that carbon-free power is always available where and when it’s needed. Matching power supply to actual usage in every hour and every region is still a big challenge.
This uneven progress is part of the reason Google continues to back long-term energy solutions like nuclear fission and fusion. Fully powering its data centers with clean energy around the clock, in every place it operates, will probably depend on whether these projects succeed in the years ahead.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.
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Most of Google’s Energy Is Now Spent on Data Centers
Google’s growing electricity demand is almost entirely tied to its data centers. In 2024, these centers accounted for over 95% of the company’s total energy use. Although Google only began releasing detailed data center energy figures in 2020, looking at the energy share across the years suggests that in 2014, its centers probably used just over 4 million megawatt-hours. That’s a sevenfold increase in just a decade.
Efficiency Gains Are Slowing Down
Google has made plenty of progress improving the energy efficiency of its data centers. In the past, those upgrades helped the company cut waste. But recently, improvements have become harder to achieve. The power usage effectiveness measure, which tracks how efficiently electricity is used, barely improved last year. Google is now approaching the limits of what its existing systems can save.Building New Energy Sources
To keep up with rising energy needs while sticking to its promise of using clean electricity, Google is investing in a range of energy options. The company is focusing on geothermal energy, solar projects, and both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.Geothermal energy, which draws heat from underground, could become a reliable solution because it’s not affected by weather. Google has supported this technology by working with companies that aim to make geothermal projects successful in more regions.
On the nuclear side, Google has made long-term plans to purchase electricity from new power plants. The company has agreed to buy hundreds of megawatts from a fusion plant expected to start operating in the early 2030s. It has also arranged to get electricity from smaller fission reactors being developed by a startup. These nuclear sources won’t be available for several years, though.
Renewables Are the Fastest Option for Now
While waiting for new nuclear projects to come online, Google has been quickly securing renewable energy that can be used sooner. Earlier this year, it arranged solar power deals in Oklahoma and South Carolina. Altogether, Google is now working with partners to develop several large carbon-free power plants, with planned investments reaching around $20 billion.Solar and wind, along with battery storage, remain the quickest paths to adding new clean power before the decade ends. Building new nuclear plants takes years of approvals and construction. Even adding more natural gas turbines now faces long waiting lists.
Although Google has purchased enough renewable energy to match its annual electricity use on paper, this doesn’t mean that carbon-free power is always available where and when it’s needed. Matching power supply to actual usage in every hour and every region is still a big challenge.
Reaching 24/7 Carbon-Free Power Remains Difficult
So far, Google has managed to power about two-thirds of its data center operations with carbon-free electricity when measured by the hour. But this average hides big differences between locations. In Latin America, clean energy covered most of Google’s needs last year, while its centers in the Middle East and Africa still rely heavily on conventional power sources.This uneven progress is part of the reason Google continues to back long-term energy solutions like nuclear fission and fusion. Fully powering its data centers with clean energy around the clock, in every place it operates, will probably depend on whether these projects succeed in the years ahead.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.
Read next:
• Most Consumers Trust Traditional Ads Over Influencer Posts, Survey Finds
• What Modern Parents Regret About Today’s Digital World for Their Kids
