Finland Orders Google to Halt Data Center Work After 250,000 Trees Illegally Felled

Finland's data center boom has collided with fierce public backlash after Google was ordered to suspend construction at two sites in the Nordic country for illegally clearing vast tracts of forest without completing required environmental impact assessments, igniting a national debate over the true cost of the AI infrastructure race.

The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) issued the stop-work order earlier this month at Muhos in rural northern Finland and at Otanmäki, approximately 100 kilometers southeast, after the company failed to conduct mandatory environmental assessments before clearcutting the land. At the Muhos site alone, an estimated 250,000 trees were removed from 330 hectares of forest, with even the topsoil stripped away, leaving behind a expanse of mud marked by machinery tracks and puddles. Ecologists from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (SLL) estimate that an additional 150,000 trees were felled at Otanmäki, and because the clearing was carried out illegally, the timber from both sites cannot be sold to wood-processing plants.

The two sites form part of a €13 billion AI infrastructure project — the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Finland — that has drawn international attention, including criticism from US President Donald Trump, who has publicly urged Google to build the facilities in the United States instead. The controversy has prompted more than 93,000 people to sign a petition demanding stricter data center regulation and a compensation fee for local communities affected by environmental damage. Google's Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, apologized for the forest clearings last week but maintained that the company had acted "on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time."

The scale and speed of the clearing have stunned conservationists and residents alike. Hanna Halmeenpää, chair of SLL's board, said she was incredulous upon learning of Google's actions. "At first I couldn't believe it," she said. "I have never heard that any company has done anything like this in Finland. They bought the vast land area and they just started to cut it, just like that. It's pure arrogance and it's amazing." Mari Annala, an ecologist with SLL, noted that brown water runoff from the Muhos site is flowing into a stream that feeds the Oulujoki River, raising concerns about downstream water quality.

The incident has thrust Finland's data center ambitions into the political spotlight ahead of parliamentary elections in April. With 145 new data centers at various stages of planning, the country has positioned itself at the forefront of tech companies' latest infrastructure push, leveraging its cool climate, geological stability and abundant land to attract investment. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose government has presided over deep spending cuts, described attracting investment as a "top priority" when the Google plans were announced last month, saying the deal would "deliver lasting benefits for both parties." He has since characterized the Muhos situation as a "cold shower."

Critics argue that the economic benefits of data centers accrue disproportionately to the operators rather than to Finland. Jussi Kangasharju, head of computer science at the University of Helsinki, said that while data centers bring a limited number of jobs, "really, for Finland, there are no benefits. They are international companies serving international customers. Very little corporate taxes go to Finland." The controversy has also raised questions about why Finland's renewable energy sources are being used to power international corporations, and whether municipalities are adequately equipped to evaluate large-scale projects. Some are calling for a centralized body to coordinate data center approvals rather than leaving decisions to local councils that may prioritize immediate economic needs.

In Otanmäki, the disruption to daily life has been visceral. Anni Ranta, 53, whose family has lived in the former mining village for generations, said wolves displaced by the deforestation wandered into the village. "We had wolves coming into the village because all the wild animals moved out of the forest," she said, adding that she worries about noise from the construction site reverberating through the hardrock soil. She is considering leaving the area altogether and fears the data center could make the village a target for Russia, with which Finland shares a long border. Her father, Pentti Korhonen, a retired wilderness guide, said the stream water has turned brown since the forest was destroyed. "There is no need at all for datacentres in Finland," he said.

Google has said it is working to protect water quality at the Muhos site and plans to plant trees across 130 hectares there, though conservationists say that figure is far too low to offset the damage. A company spokesperson said Google has operated in Finland for 15 years and has "always worked to meet or exceed zoning, environmental, health and safety requirements," adding that the company stopped preparatory works at both sites after receiving the LVV letters on October 6 and has submitted a formal response confirming its compliance. "We will fully comply with LVV's requests in this matter," the spokesperson said. Veli-Matti Uski, director general of Finland's Ministry of Environment, said the government is "monitoring the general development of the [datacentre] sector, [and the] application of its legislation, and is prepared to propose legislative amendments as necessary."