The main observation when you compare to token prices our input/cached energy is much lower than the equivalent token prices while the output energy is generally higher. One of the reasons this is a bit cheaper, especially for agentic systems, is that in an fully built/cached session your input & cached to output ratio is really massive input to very small output (multiple orders of magnitude usually). The other thing we do is we actively work to optimize the system around tokens/joule with the goal of making the most energy-optimal system.
Happy to answer any other questions.
How we drive AI will cause mileage variances, but over time the improved practices can measurably change.