Finns Condemn Google for Cutting 250,000 Trees to Build a Data Center

Behind a wire fence lies a vast expanse of cleared land. Before Google’s arrival, an estimated 250,000 trees stood across 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest near Muhos in rural northern Finland.

A cleared forest site near Muhos, Finland, has become the focus of public anger over tree felling and environmental assessments for a planned Google data center.  [Photo: Google]

The trees have since been felled, prompting widespread public anger, Miranda Bryant reported for The Guardian.

With 145 data center projects at various stages of planning, Finland has become a focal point for technology companies seeking capacity for AI and other digital services.

The country’s relative geopolitical and geological stability, abundant land and cool climate make it attractive for data center development and potentially lower cooling costs.

Earlier in October, Finland’s Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) ordered work to stop temporarily at Google-related data center sites in Muhos and Otanmäki after the required environmental impact assessments had not been completed before trees were felled.

The developments have prompted public criticism and a broader debate over Finland’s role in the global expansion of data centers.

Critics have raised concerns about the implications for nearby communities, household energy costs and the natural environment, which is a source of national pride.

The expansion of data centers could become an issue in Finland’s parliamentary election scheduled for April 2027.

In addition to the estimated 250,000 trees felled at Muhos, Mari Annala, an ecologist with the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, estimated that another 150,000 trees had been cut at Otanmäki. Annala said that because the trees were felled unlawfully, the timber from the sites could not be sold to wood-processing plants.