Question: What does a potato plant need energy for?

Clare Harding answered on 17 Nov 2014:

In general, potatoes need energy for the same things as any living creature, to grow, metabolise, and to make the next generation.

But for potatoes they have two options, they can produce flowers and seeds which can be spread to new places and make new plants. Or, unlike people, they can use the tubers (the bit you eat) to create new plants the next year. The tubers store energy as starch and when they sense the temperature increase in spring, the eyes of the potato start to sprout towards to surface, forming a new plant.

I hope that helps!