Google estimates that a median text-generation prompt in Gemini Apps used 0.24 watt-hours (Wh) in May 2025. The company also estimates that prompt’s footprint at 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (gCO2e) and 0.26 milliliters (mL) of water. These are Google’s production-based estimates for its own service—not a measurement that applies to every Gemini request or to AI prompts generally.
What Google’s AI prompt estimate covers
Google published its methodology and estimate on August 21, 2025, using May 2025 production data for Gemini Apps. The reported figure is a median for text generation. In the technical paper, Google identifies the model serving the 50th-percentile text prompt using the distribution of prompts and ranks models by energy per prompt; it is therefore a service-level summary, not a fixed cost assigned to every user request.
The 0.03 gCO2e and 0.26 mL water figures are derived from the estimated prompt energy using Google’s 2024 average fleet-wide grid carbon intensity and water usage effectiveness, respectively. They are not separate, direct measurements of the emissions or water attributable to each individual prompt. Google Cloud’s methodology and estimate describe the figures and their conversion factors.
Why the system boundary changes the number
Google’s comprehensive accounting goes beyond the accelerator actively running a model. It includes accelerator power and actual utilization, host CPU and RAM, provisioned machines kept idle for reliability and traffic spikes, and data-center overhead such as cooling and power distribution. Google argues that active-machine-only calculations omit material serving costs; that is the company’s characterization of narrower estimates.
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| Component in Google’s comprehensive estimate | Energy | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Active AI accelerator power | 0.14 Wh | 58% |
| Host CPU and DRAM | 0.06 Wh | 25% |
| Provisioned idle machines | 0.02 Wh | 10% |
| Data-center overhead | 0.02 Wh | 8% |
| Total, rounded | 0.24 Wh | 101%* |
*The shares are rounded, so they add to 101%. Component values are also rounded. The breakdown comes from the technical paper, “Measuring the environmental impact of delivering AI at Google Scale”.
For the same median text prompt, Google’s narrower active-TPU/GPU-only comparison is 0.10 Wh, 0.02 gCO2e, and 0.12 mL of water. Under its comprehensive method, the corresponding figures are 0.24 Wh, 0.03 gCO2e, and 0.26 mL. The gap illustrates why prompt-footprint figures cannot be compared meaningfully without checking what each one includes.
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How small is 0.24 Wh?
Google compares 0.24 Wh with watching a 100-watt television for less than nine seconds. That is an illustrative equivalence, not a measurement of a television or a claim that every prompt consumes the same energy. The estimate is for a median Gemini Apps text-generation prompt under Google’s stated accounting boundary.
What the estimate does—and does not—show
Google reports that energy per median prompt was 33 times lower and carbon per median prompt 44 times lower in May 2025 than in May 2024. These are company-reported, per-prompt comparisons, not evidence that Google’s total data-center energy use or emissions fell by those multiples. Google’s Sustainability page notes limitations on that comparison: Google Sustainability: Our operations.
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The estimate is a point-in-time analysis, and Google says the results do not represent every Gemini text prompt or predict future performance. Prompt energy can change as models are added, model architecture evolves, and chatbot behavior changes. Google also states that the data and claims have not been independently verified. Its announcement says the methodology is intended to improve understanding of inference impacts and encourage more consistent industry reporting: Google’s approach to energy innovation and AI’s environmental footprint.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare AI prompt-footprint claims
Before comparing one provider’s number with another, check whether the figures describe the same workload and boundary. In particular, look for:
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- The service and model population being measured.
- Whether prompts are text-only and what output is included.
- Whether the value is a median, a mean, or a measurement of one request.
- Whether host systems, idle capacity, and data-center overhead are counted.
- The geography and electricity or emissions factors used.
- The measurement period and whether the estimate has independent verification.
Google’s 0.24 Wh figure is useful as a disclosed estimate for its own Gemini Apps text workload. Without equivalent details for another figure, treating the two as directly comparable can give a misleading impression of which service uses less energy.
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- 【Smart Charging for Devices】Automatically cuts power once your device reaches the low-battery limit you set, preventing overcharging.
- 【Auto-Shutoff】Prevents electrical overload by automatically shutting off devices that use too much power.
- 【Voice & Remote Control】 With built-in support for both Alexa and Google Assistant, issue simple voice commands to adjust settings, turn devices on or off, or even access specific functions without lifting a finger. Manage Tapo P115 and its connected devices from anywhere with the user-friendly Tapo app.
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