TokenWatt is a transparent, OpenAI-compatible proxy designed to measure the actual electricity cost of running local Large Language Model (LLM) inference on Apple Silicon hardware. By sitting in front of local inference servers and utilizing Apple's IOReport via SoC rail energy measurements, it provides real-time pricing for requests based on user-defined utility rates without requiring sudo privileges. The tool allows users to compare the cost-efficiency of local execution versus cloud API providers, particularly highlighting the economic advantages of running high-context agentic loops locally where context re-processing is essentially free (limited only by power).
- Uses Apple's IOReport for sudoless energy measurement on macOS/Apple Silicon.
- Provides an OpenAI-compatible interface that forwards requests byte-for-byte to backends like LM Studio or MLX.
- Supports dynamic model discovery so routing updates automatically when models are loaded into memory.
- Offers a calibration feature to replace estimates (±15–30%) with highly accurate measurements via smart plugs.