Google reported a staggering 37% increase in its annual electricity consumption in 2025, the largest jump in the company’s history. This growth is linked to the expansion of AI infrastructure and services, as well as YouTube video streaming and Google Cloud growth.

The good news? Google managed to keep operational carbon emissions down by continuing to purchase massive amounts of clean energy. Their sustainability report notes a 2% reduction in these emissions despite the increased usage. However, this decoupling of emissions from electricity consumption is not without challenges. Supply chain emissions grew by 25%, driven by a lack of carbon-free energy in Asia-Pacific.

The company’s data centers alone consumed over 42 million megawatt-hours of electricity, rivaling the energy usage of entire countries like New Zealand and Denmark. Google acknowledges that while their ambitions remain ambitious, they need to accelerate clean energy investments and partnerships with local stakeholders in future years.

For those concerned about the environmental impact of AI, this growth isn’t just a tech story—it’s a global energy story too. As AI builds expand, so do the shadows they cast on our planet's power grid.