Internet vs. other industries: A Power Consumption comparison
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The internet’s power consumption is comparable to or greater than that of major industries like aviation, and it is projected to grow significantly. While it uses less energy than the steel industry, its rapid growth, driven by technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), is causing its energy footprint to rise markedly. source
Internet vs. other industries: A comparison
The total power consumption of the internet is difficult to quantify precisely, and estimates vary. A significant portion of this energy is consumed by data centers, but network infrastructure and end-user devices also contribute. source
Industry
| Internet (as of 2022–2024 estimates) | |
|---|---|
| Aviation | The internet’s carbon footprint, driven by data centers and digital infrastructure, is now comparable to or larger than the aviation industry’s. |
| Steel | The steel industry is one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries, consuming more power than the internet. However, the internet’s energy demands are growing rapidly, while efficiency gains in many heavy industries, sometimes aided by digital technology, can help curb demand growth. |
| United Kingdom (country) | The electricity used by data centers alone in 2022 was comparable to the total electricity consumption of the entire United Kingdom. |
| Individual activities | A single data center can consume as much electricity as 50,000 homes. Simply sending an email with an attachment can consume significant power. |
The internet’s energy breakdown
Several components make up the internet’s total energy footprint. [?]
Data centers: These facilities, filled with thousands of servers, store and process the world’s digital information. As of 2022, data centers accounted for about 1% to 1.3% of global electricity consumption.
Networking: The vast global network of cables, cell towers, and routers that transmit data also requires constant power.
End-user devices: The power consumed by devices like smartphones, computers, and TVs adds to the overall consumption.
Cryptocurrency: In 2022, energy consumption related to cryptocurrency was estimated to be 100 to 150 terawatt-hours (TWh).
Artificial intelligence (AI): The energy needed for AI is a rapidly growing part of the total. Training and using complex AI models, especially large language models (LLMs), require vast amounts of energy, and demand is projected to rise significantly. [?]
The future of internet energy consumption
The internet’s power consumption is not static and is expected to grow dramatically due to several factors:
- Exponential growth: Internet traffic and the use of digital services continue to grow at a high rate.
- AI boom: The rapid integration and use of AI across industries are expected to significantly increase data center and overall internet energy demands. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that electricity demand from AI and data centers could more than double by 2030 in some scenarios.
- Shift to renewables: While total energy consumption rises, major tech companies are increasingly powering their data centers and operations with renewable energy, helping to curb the associated carbon emissions. source
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