Artificial Intelligence is shaking up the green energy world — and not just because it uses a lot of power. In 2025, AI is proving to be a powerful tool in optimizing renewable energy, accelerating clean tech innovation, and even helping build a circular economy. But can something so energy-hungry actually help save the planet? Andrea dives into the pros, cons, and surprising opportunities of AI’s role in the sustainability revolution.
“When I see €109 billion going into AI while the National Forest Office—which manages 10% of French territory—only receives €1 billion per year as forests are dying, I can’t help but feel we’re not prioritizing correctly… We’re rushing headlong into something simply because we can do it—while ignoring far more critical challenges.”
Recent studies highlight the unexpected benefits of agrivoltaism—the practice of integrating sheep grazing with solar farms. Research conducted in Australia and France reveals improvements in livestock health, wool quality, and biodiversity under solar panels. By providing shade, reducing parasite loads, and enhancing vegetation quality, agrivoltaic systems offer a sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural model for the future.
In a landmark move toward securing clean, reliable energy for its rapidly expanding data centers, Google has partnered with nuclear startup Elementl Power to develop three advanced nuclear reactor sites totaling 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generation capacity. This collaboration underscores the tech giant’s commitment to achieving 24/7 carbon-free energy while meeting the soaring power demands driven by AI and cloud computing. The project will feature next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs), marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of nuclear energy and its integration into the modern grid.
Elon Musk’s xAI project in Memphis is under fire for exacerbating environmental and social injustices in historically Black and disadvantaged neighborhoods. Accusations of “environmental racism” have arisen due to the facility’s massive resource consumption, air and water pollution, and lack of transparency. The supercomputer, named “Colossus,” powers the Grok AI chatbot but requires 4 million liters of water daily and 150 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to powering 100,000 homes annually. Local residents, already burdened by industrial contamination, see no benefits from the project, which has worsened existing pollution. Meanwhile, critics question whether Musk’s ventures prioritize profit over sustainability and societal well-being.
The LunaRecycle Challenge, a $3 million competition by NASA, seeks innovative solutions to manage and recycle waste during long-term lunar missions. The goal is to reduce solid waste, improve sustainability, and minimize reliance on Earth-based supplies by creating closed-loop systems for waste management. Proposed solutions include autonomous robotic systems for waste sorting and processing, regolith-based material repurposing, water extraction from lunar ice, and organic waste conversion into resources like biogas. These approaches aim to address NASA’s requirements for mission self-sufficiency while inspiring advancements in terrestrial recycling technologies.