The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, traditionally focused on innovative products and cutting-edge technology, saw a notable shift in 2025 as the tech sector begins to address its substantial and growing energy demands driven by advancements in cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI).
“If you’d asked me to do CES five years ago, I wouldn’t necessarily have seen the point,” said Sebastien Fiedorow, CEO of French start-up Aerleum, which manufactures synthetic fuel from carbon dioxide. “But we are in a very different CES than five years ago,” he added, noting that energy companies, though still on the fringes of CES, are now part of the conversation.
Data centers accounted for 4.4 percent of U.S. electricity needs in 2023, a figure expected to rise to 12 percent by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES, emphasized that energy transition is a “big focus” of the 2025 show, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to meet the tech sector’s power requirements.
Among the companies showcasing such innovations was Dutch firm LV Energy, which generates electricity from sound and vibrations. “The fact that we’re here with the CES does say something, definitely,” noted General Director Satish Jawalapersad. However, LV Energy’s presentation, which did not mention AI, may have suppressed interest, as AI remains a buzzword at CES.
Another energy firm, DataGreen, aims to build smaller, greener data centers powered by renewable energy, reducing data storage costs for tech companies. Despite initial resistance from cloud computing giants, DataGreen’s head of AI, Julien Choukroun, remains confident in their value proposition. “We can’t continue to increase the hangar space of data centers,” he said, stressing the finite availability of land for such facilities.
CES 2025 marks the first appearance for DataGreen, which won an innovation award at the event. Choukroun believes that once Big Tech realizes the cost savings offered by DataGreen, this will be “more persuasive than the ‘green’ aspect.” The growing presence of energy firms at CES signals a broader recognition of the tech sector’s urgent energy needs and the importance of sustainable solutions.