What unit is used to measure energy usage at the scale of humankind's consumption?

The unit used to measure energy usage at the scale of humankind's consumption is terawatts. This measurement is appropriate for large-scale energy needs because it represents one trillion watts. It encapsulates the vast amount of energy consumed by human activities across the globe, which is typically measured in terawatts when considering the total energy consumption of societies, industries, and technology.

For comparison, gigawatts (one billion watts) and kilowatts (one thousand watts) are smaller units that are more commonly used for measuring energy production and consumption at local or regional levels, such as in individual power plants or homes. Petawatts (one quadrillion watts) is another potential unit but is too large for practical, everyday measurement of human consumption.

Using terawatts allows us to accurately reflect and analyze the total energy needs of the planet, encompassing everything from residential energy use to industrial output and the global demand for electricity.