Google data centers now consume as much power as entire countries

Google’s latest sustainability report reveals a 37 percent jump in electricity consumption in 2025, the largest annual increase in the company’s history, driven primarily by its accelerating AI data center expansion. Total electricity usage has risen over 250 percent since 2019, with Google’s data centers consuming more than 42 million megawatt-hours in 2025, comparable to the energy use of entire countries such as Denmark or New Zealand. Despite this surge, Google managed to reduce operational emissions by 2 percent through massive clean‑energy purchases, although supply‑chain emissions rose 25 percent due to carbon‑heavy grids in Asia-Pacific. The company continues to pursue a 24/7 carbon‑free energy goal, investing in renewables, geothermal, nuclear, fusion and long‑duration storage. However, concerns remain as Google’s Texas data center expansion may rely on a 933‑megawatt natural gas plant that could emit up to 4.5 million tons of CO₂ annually.

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