Finland orders Google to pause land clearing at Muhos and Kajaani data center sites pending environmental reviews
Finland's Licensing and Supervision Authority ordered Tuike Finland Oy, Google's local subsidiary, to stop work that significantly changes the environment at both planned sites. That includes tree removal, topsoil stripping, excavation, blasting, drainage and road building. Planning, measurements and soil surveys may continue. Roughly 330 hectares had been cleared at Muhos and just under 200 at Kajaani. The pause lasts until the environmental impact assessments are finished, and Google could face fines if it does not comply. Google said it fell short of its own standards but acted in good faith under Finland's Forestry Act. The sites are part of its multibillion-euro AI infrastructure push in Finland, where cool weather and clean power have drawn hyperscalers. For founders who depend on new capacity, even regions friendly to builders are tightening permit enforcement. Local environmental reviews are becoming a schedule risk for data center timelines, alongside shortages of power and memory.
