QuoteThe internet is a vast network of data centers, servers, and network infrastructure that consumes much energy. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global energy consumption of data centres increased by 6% in 2020, reaching a total of 205 terawatt-hours (TWh). This is equivalent to the energy consumption of Spain, and it's expected to grow by another 3% in 2021. The IEA also estimates that data centres and networks will consume 10% of the world's electricity by 2030.
Search engines are one of the largest consumers of energy in the internet ecosystem. According to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the energy consumption of search engines in the United States was estimated to be between 1.5 and 2.5 terawatt-hours in 2016, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 200,000 to 300,000 households. The carbon emissions from this energy consumption range from 1.2 to 2 million metric tons of CO2.
If internet searches keep people from driving perhaps there is an offset in the calculation?
Regardless my personal carbon footprint was reduced by installing a heat pump last month far more than my personal internet searches pile on.