The International Energy Agency (IEA) has delivered a dire warning, revealing that cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence (AI) currently account for nearly 2% of the world’s total electricity consumption. However, this figure is poised to potentially double within the next couple of years.
It explains that the rapidly expanding crypto industry is responsible for the increase of data centers worldwide, thereby contributing to the surge in energy consumption.
Crypto and AI Expected to Double Electricity Consumption
In a comprehensive 170-page report, the IEA details various factors influencing the potential rise in electricity consumption from crypto and AI in the coming years. The agency expresses confidence that the increase could be at least double:
“Electricity consumption from data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) and the cryptocurrency sector could double by 2026.”
When the numbers are crunched down however, it is alarming. The IEA states that it expects global energy consumption from these three sectors to range between 620 – 1050 TWh in 2026.
Read more: 11 Best Altcoin Exchanges for Crypto Trading in January 2024
Should this forecast materialize, it would mean adding “at least one Sweden or most of Germany.”
“We estimate that data centres, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence (AI) consumed about 460 TWh of electricity worldwide in 2022, almost 2% of total global electricity demand.”
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Author: Ciaran Lyons
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