AI and air conditioning’s energy demand threaten clean power gains, scientists warn
“We need policies that curb unnecessary energy use and shape demand."
Power-hungry artificial intelligence and increasing air conditioning needs in a warming world risk offsetting the clean energy gains made in recent years, according to a scientific study published today.
The growth in clean electricity, particularly solar power, outpaced the global growth in electricity demand for the first time in the first three quarters of 2025, researchers from Sussex University and Vienna’s Central European University have found.
