The XRP Ledger (XRPL) consumed just $73,000 worth of electricity over the past year, a stark contrast to Bitcoin's estimated $8 billion to $12 billion in energy costs, according to data shared by XRPL validator Vet. XRPL's annual consumption was 405,938 kWh, equating to approximately $0.0000028 per transaction, while Bitcoin's energy demand was around 98.19 TWh, costing $50 to $80 per transaction. The significant difference in energy consumption highlights the structural divergence between XRPL's validator consensus model and Bitcoin's Proof-of-Work system. XRPL developers, including Wietse Wind, emphasize the network's cost efficiency, with 80% of XRPL Labs' infrastructure powered by solar energy. Developer Bird noted that XRP transactions are up to 99.999997% cheaper than Bitcoin's, translating to substantial energy savings. The debate underscores XRPL's position as one of the most energy-efficient networks among major cryptocurrencies, maintaining low energy usage compared to Bitcoin's substantial global energy footprint. The discussion also touches on the financial dynamics of Bitcoin mining, where miners bear the electricity costs, potentially affecting market dynamics.