Finland opens criminal investigation into Google clearing forest for data center site | Finland

Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into possible violations of the country’s environmental laws at the site of a proposed Google data center in rural northern Finland.

Authorities say Tuike Finland, a Google subsidiary, cleared and drained 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest at the planned Muhos site before environmental impact assessments required by Finnish law were completed.

Like other Nordic countries, Finland attracts technology companies looking to build data centers because of its relative geopolitical stability and abundance of land, but also because its cool climate should allow them to reduce their energy costs.

“Based on preliminary information, there have been ambiguities and deficiencies in drainage and water management at the construction site of the Tuike Finland ​Oy data center project,” Finnish police said in a statement on Thursday.

“The criminal investigation will examine, among other things, the circumstances related to these issues,” they added.

Finnish authorities are considering applications for a total of 145 new data centers at various stages of planning, including a €13bn (£11bn) artificial intelligence infrastructure project from Google that the US company has called its biggest “investment in Europe”.

Earlier this month, Finnish authorities ordered Google to suspend work at two sites – Muhos and Otanmäki, about 100 km to the southeast – after the company failed to carry out environmental impact assessments before carrying out clear-cutting.

The Monitoring Agency, which oversees permits and environmental assessments, has asked Google to stop “preparatory measures modifying the environment.” Activists estimate that 250,000 trees were felled in Muhos and 150,000 in Otanmäki.

Google’s country manager in Finland, Antti Järvinen, apologized for the deforestation, but said the company had acted according to “the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.”

The Finnish government encouraged the projects. In September, when Google’s plans were announced, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that attracting investment was a “top priority” and that the deal would “bring lasting benefits.”

But revelations about Google’s alleged misconduct have sparked a national debate about what data center deals mean for communities, the environment and energy prices. This problem could have an impact on the legislative elections scheduled for April.

More than 93,000 people have signed a petition demanding more regulation of data centers and compensation for environmental damage. Experts say data centers generate a limited number of local jobs and the national benefits are minimal.

“In reality, for Finland there is no benefit,” said Jussi Kangasharju, a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki. “These are international companies serving international customers. Data centers ultimately provide little benefit to anyone other than the data center operator.”