Finland’s Licensing and Supervision Authority ordered Google subsidiary Tuike Finland to suspend environmentally significant preparatory work at sites in Muhos and Kajaani until environmental impact assessments are completed. These measures, including the clearing of an estimated 250,000 trees at Muhos, stripping topsoil and building access roads, have already altered the environment. The sites form part of Google’s €13 billion investment announced in September to develop AI infrastructure in Finland. More than 96,000 people have signed a citizens’ initiative seeking tighter controls on data centers and a fee to compensate for their environmental effects and electricity consumption. Google has already operated a data center in Hamina since 2011, using seawater cooling and supplying waste heat to local buildings.
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