Microsoft and Google’s new talent war is moving from AI to …

Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon, among other have lately been in an AI war in the Silicon Valley over researchers and data scientists. But as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom matures, a new “talent war” has emerged: the battle for hiring energy experts.

Citing data from Workforce.ai, CNBC has reported that energy-related hiring in the tech sector jumped 34% year-on-year in 2024. As of early 2026, the pace remains roughly 30% higher than pre-AI levels.The report indicates that tech giants are now scrambling to strengthen their ‘energy teams’ to secure massive amounts of electricity to run their data centres – which is currently the primary bottleneck for scaling AI.

To meet the increasing demand, Big Tech are reportedly moving beyond traditional sustainability and “green” roles, hunting for operational veterans in energy procurement, strategy and regulatory affairs.

Microsoft leads the pack in energy hiring

According to the report, Microsoft has emerged as a major victor in this specialised talent grab, securing over 570 energy-related hires since 2022. High-profile additions include Betsy Beck, who joined as Director of Energy Markets after a stint at Google, and former GE CFO Carolina Dybeck Happe, who was brought on as COO in 2024 to oversee the firm’s operational playbook.

Similarly, Amazon (including AWS) remains the overall leader with 605 hires, while Google has added 340 experts to its roster since 2022. Google’s recent hires include Eric Schubert, a 14-year veteran of BP, and Duke University researcher Tyler Norris.

The ‘power bottleneck’ in AI boom

The shift in hiring energy talent is driven by the high energy requirements of modern data centres, which now account for an estimated 1.5% of global electricity consumption. This has also prompted tech giants to strike deals with nuclear power suppliers. For example, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recently announced a $4.75 billion deal to acquire the data center firm Intersect. The company is also aiming to launch a solar-powered data centre in 2027.