Google Is Accused of Destroying Nearly 500 Football Fields of Forest for New Data Center Project

Regulators investigate Google’s Finnish project company for clearing 300 hectares before completing environmental review.
Google’s €13 billion Finnish AI infrastructure plan spans four cities, marking its largest single European investment.
The investigation’s outcome could set a precedent for European oversight of large-scale data center development.
Approximately 300 hectares of Finnish forest, reportedly comparable to 500 football fields, were cleared for Google’s data-center expansion before environmental-impact assessment procedures for the project had concluded. The clearing happened first; the environmental review was still running.

Finland’s supervisory agency LVV is examining whether Tuike Finland Oy, Google’s Finnish project company, failed to complete a legally required environmental-impact assessment before beginning permanent land-use conversion reportedly exceeding 200 hectares. No legal finding has been reached; this is a regulatory inquiry, not a verdict.

The clearing sits inside a much larger commitment. Google announced at least €13 billion in Finnish AI infrastructure investment through 2028, according to Reuters, spanning data centers across Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala. The company described it as its largest single investment in Europe.

https://www.gadgetreview.com/google-is-accused-of-destroying-nearly-500-football-fields-of-forest-for-new-data-center-project