Google plans to invest $13 billion in the construction of two data centers in Finland. The projects are located in the town of Muhos and the village of Otanmäki.
The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority has ordered a halt to construction at both sites. The company began clearing land and removed approximately 400,000 trees without completing the required environmental impact assessments.
Antti Järvinen, Google's manager for operations in Finland, issued an apology for the unauthorized tree removal. He stated that the company acted based on its understanding of the legislation at the time.
Public opposition is growing, with over 93,000 people signing a petition for stricter data center regulations. Critics argue that these facilities provide minimal national economic benefits while consuming local renewable energy resources.
