Source: Wall Street Journal

Date Published: 09.16.2025

Link: AI Is Going to Consume a Lot of Energy. It Can Also Help Us Consume Less

AI uses a lot of energy, but it could ultimately save much more than it consumes by making industries far more efficient. It’s already helping freight companies cut fuel use around 10% and airlines cut emissions about the same by planning routes based on real-time conditions. In buildings, AI could lower carbon emissions close to 20% by managing lighting, HVAC, and energy storage, and in manufacturing it speeds up the discovery of cleaner materials and better recycling methods. It can also track forests and soil to protect and rebuild natural carbon sinks. If adopted widely, these gains could more than offset AI’s own energy footprint.

A white paper by the Swedish firm Myrspoven describes how Stockholm’s municipal school property company, SISAB, used AI to manage heating, lighting, and electrical systems across 624 school buildings. After just five months, the system cut electricity use by about 15%, lowered heating energy by 4%, reduced CO₂ emissions by 205 tonnes, and even decreased occupant complaints by around 23%.