What units are typically used to express large-scale energy consumption rates?

The correct choice is expressed in terawatts, which are a unit of power equivalent to one trillion watts. In the context of large-scale energy consumption rates, terawatts provide a suitable measure because they reflect the immense amounts of energy used by countries or entire regions. This scale allows for easier comparison and understanding of energy usage on a national or global scale.

Power is typically measured in watts, where one watt equals one joule per second. Therefore, larger units like terawatts capture significant levels of energy flow, making them particularly useful when analyzing energy systems or consumption trends over time.

While other options like gigawatts and megajoules are also relevant to energy metrics, terawatts stand out for expressions of large-scale rates of energy consumption because gigawatts, though large, can still fall short in measuring the energy output of major electrical grids or the overall consumption of powerful economies. Therefore, it is common to use terawatts for such larger contexts.