Google and Microsoft data centers use more electricity than Iceland or Jordan in a year



Although the power consumption of each computer is not that large, when they are concentrated in a data center, the amount of electricity consumed can be enormous. According to Michael Thomas, author of the climate change newsletter

Distilled , the amount of electricity consumed by Google and Microsoft data centers in 2023 was 24 TWh each (1 TWh is 1 million times 1 MWh), which is more than some countries.

Thomas compared the 24 TWh consumed by Google and Microsoft data centers with the U.S. Energy Information Administration's monthly power consumption data by country, and created a graph showing similar figures. The figure of 24 TWh was lower than Nigeria (32 TWh) and Ireland (31 TWh), on par with Azerbaijan (24 TWh), and higher than Jordan (20 TWh) and Iceland (19 TWh).



Thomas commented on this number as 'Wild.'

The high power consumption of data centers has become a global issue, and the International Energy Agency predicts that by 2026, the power consumption of data centers worldwide will reach a level comparable to that of Japan.

The International Energy Agency predicts that the electricity consumed by data centers around the world will rival that of Japan by 2026, and that energy demand doubled due to AI and virtual currencies will be covered by 'clean' electricity such as nuclear power - GIGAZINE



Aside from data centers, another major consumer of electricity is cryptocurrency mining. The University of Cambridge has published the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, which can be used to compare the power consumption of cryptocurrencies with other data.

Cambridge University clearly explains the power consumption of Bitcoin mining, which consumes electricity at a national level - GIGAZINE



According to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index data for 2024, Bitcoin’s annual power consumption will be 143.3 TWh, surpassing Ukraine’s 134.3 TWh and approaching Malaysia’s 150.8 TWh.



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