While the spotlight shines on AI, the actual numbers and projections cited overwhelmingly focus on the energy devoured by Internet "data centres."

According to Bloomberg, AI data centres consume 10 to 15 times the electricity. However, AI might not be at fault. It has discovered a steady growth in worldwide data centre energy usage—from 100 TWh in 2012 to around 350 TWh in 2024.

Most of this growth predates the AI frenzy triggered by tools like Dall-E and ChatGPT.  This means that while AI will worsen matters, the problem was already there long before AI arrived.

The bulk of data centre power keeps our emails, cat videos, and Hollywood movies humming. It's not as sexy as "AI apocalypse," but it's essential.

Dutch researcher Alex de Vries estimates that the AI sector could consume 85 to 134 TWh in a few years. PC gaming consumes 75 TWh annually, while crypto mining consumes 110 TWh.

De Vries' AI energy estimates are a crumb compared to the 620 to 1,050 TWh projected for all data centres by 2026 (according to the IEA). Most of this power fuels mundane Internet infrastructure.

Ireland grapples with data centres devouring nearly a fifth of its electricity. Meanwhile, Irish households are being told to reduce their electricity consumption.

The UK's National Grid predicts a sixfold rise in data centre electricity demand within a decade, fuelled mainly by AI. Electrifying transport and heat will gobble up even more juice.

The US is in the most trouble because its infrastructure is hugely undersupplied and underfunded. Parts of the US suffer from brownouts, while domestic manufacturing enjoys a renaissance. It's a delicate balancing act.

Bill Gates has defended the rapid rise in energy use caused by AI systems, arguing the technology would ultimately offset its heavy consumption of electricity.

Speaking in London, Gates urged environmentalists and governments to "not go overboard" on concerns about the huge amounts of power required to run new generative AI systems. Big Tech companies such as Microsoft race to invest tens of billions of dollars in vast new data centres.

The billionaire said data centres would drive a rise in global electricity usage of 2-6 per cent.

 "The question is, will AI accelerate a more than 6 per cent reduction? And the answer is: certainly," said Gates.

 In May, Microsoft admitted that its greenhouse gas emissions had risen by almost a third since 2020, in large part due to the construction of data centres.