Google has released a detailed report on the energy consumption of its Gemini applications, revealing for the first time precise figures for a single text query, reports MIT Technology Review.
According to the company, the average text query on Gemini consumes 0.24 Wh of electricity – about the same amount as a microwave oven for one second of operation. It also emits 0.03 grams of CO₂ and uses 0.26 milliliters of water – about five drops.
This report is the first such transparent example from a major tech company with a popular AI product. Previously, independent researchers were unable to directly assess energy consumption due to a lack of access to internal data.
According to Google's chief scientist Jeff Dean, the report takes into account not only the operation of specialized TPU processors, but also other infrastructure: 25% of energy is consumed by the CPU and memory of host machines, 10% by backup systems, and another 8% by cooling and other data center costs.
Google notes that Gemini's efficiency has increased significantly over the year: in May 2024, the average query consumed 33 times more energy than in May 2025. This is explained by improvements in models and software optimizations.
However, more complex tasks, such as processing dozens of books or using reasoning models, consume significantly more resources. And the report so far only covers text queries, not images or videos, which require much more power.
Google calculated its CO₂ emissions by taking into account its clean renewable power purchase agreements. The company has contracted more than 22 GW of capacity from solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear projects since 2010, reducing average emissions to about a third of the level of a conventional power grid.
Experts call the report the "most comprehensive analysis" of AI energy consumption to date. However, there is still a lack of transparency about the total number of requests Gemini makes, making it difficult to assess the service’s full environmental impact.
Despite this, Google is trying to reassure users. "It’s actually equivalent to things you do without even thinking about it on a daily basis, like watching a few seconds of TV or consuming five drops of water," Jeff Dean emphasized.