The role of AI in growing demand for electricity and water underscores the importance of enhancing efficiency and reliance on green energy

Technology giant Google's recent disclosure of the energy and water footprint of its artificial intelligence model introduces a new dimension to our understanding of growing global resource demand. Alongside population expansion, the escalating demand for electricity and water driven by advanced technologies is fast becoming a significant factor shaping future resource needs. According to a post on its official blog, Google revealed that a typical Gemini Apps text prompt consumes 0.24 watt-hours of energy and 0.26 millilitres (approximately five drops) of water for cooling. The per-prompt energy use is equivalent to watching TV for less than nine seconds.

This unprecedented announcement from a leading global technology company underscores the impact of AI and its data centres on worldwide energy and water consumption. It also illustrates the immense cumulative effect of this technology when deployed across billions of applications. This underscores an important reality: data centres powering the AI era are now among the world's largest energy consumers. Therefore, the sustainability of these data centres is a key factor in maintaining the long-term viability of the entire digital sector.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, it becomes evident that meeting the ever-growing demand for electricity and water will be essential to strengthening competitiveness, achieving excellence and ensuring readiness for both current and future challenges.

Given the UAE’s global prominence as a leader in artificial intelligence, it is crucial to continually enhance the efficiency of the electricity and water networks. Increasing reliance on clean and renewable energy – sources that are virtually inexhaustible – not only meets growing demand but also supports the nation’s societal, economic and environmental sustainability. A recent report issued by US-based TRG Datacenters ranked the UAE as the world’s second and the region’s top performer in AI supercomputing power. The UAE leads the Arab world in AI readiness, according to the latest AI Maturity Index issued by online learning platform Coursera, and ranks among the world’s top 20 nations for AI talent density, as highlighted in the latest Global AI Competitiveness Index published by the International Finance Forum and the Deep Knowledge Group.

As Dubai’s exclusive provider of electricity and water services, we at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recognise our responsibility as cornerstone of the emirate’s sustainable development. We support the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, and the investment of AI in its various vital sectors. To boost productivity and efficiency, we are implementing AI technologies across DEWA’s electricity and water production, transmission, and distribution networks.

Thanks to the visionary foresight of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, we at DEWA began early to adopt innovation and the latest international technologies and practices to keep pace with Dubai’s population and economic prosperity, achieve net zero, meet the growing demand for electricity and water, and increase our energy production capacity from clean sources. DEWA is implementing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar park based on the independent power producer model. Its current capacity is 3,860 megawatts (MW), with a planned expansion to 8,000MW by 2030 (the original plan was 5,000 megawatts). This will reduce 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually (the original plan was 6.5 million).

Clean energy has become a key driver of technological advancement. This progress is fueled by strategic investments in clean energy and smart infrastructure. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park serves not only as an electricity generation project but also as the foundation of Dubai’s green digital economy. It provides reliable, uninterrupted clean energy to the world's largest solar-powered green data centre, according to Guinness World Records. This facility is operated by Data Hub Integrated Solutions (MORO Hub), a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of DEWA.

This green center serves as the ideal model for future data centres: it is highly efficient, reliable, and powered entirely by renewable energy. As a result, it significantly reduces both energy and water usage associated with cooling processes, while also minimising the emissions typically produced by conventional data centres.

DEWA continues to enhance its operational capabilities and develop its smart infrastructure through well-considered plans and strategic investments. These efforts are tailored to accommodate the rapid growth in demand for essential services while supporting the development of Dubai’s vital infrastructure in line with its sustainability vision and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050.

Building upon our pioneering legacy of excellence, we at DEWA spare no effort to provide electricity and water services that meet the highest standards of efficiency, reliability, sustainability and quality. Our efforts not only support Dubai's future infrastructure but also accelerate national achievement, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global leader across all fields.