Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into suspected environmental regulation violations at a Google data center construction site in northern Finland. The project is part of Google's $15 billion Finnish AI infrastructure investment plan announced last month—its largest single investment in Europe to date. The subsidiary involved, Tuike Finland, allegedly began logging and drainage work at the planned site near the town of Muhos without completing the legally required environmental impact assessment, clearing approximately 330 hectares of forest, felling some 250,000 trees, and carrying out large-scale land clearing and topsoil removal. Police are investigating whether these actions violated the Water Act and caused environmental damage. If convicted, the company could face corporate fines. The investigation is expected to run until 2027, with an interim progress report due in December. Finland's environmental permit and assessment regulator, LVV, has ordered a suspension of all preparatory works involving surface ecological modification by Google at Muhos and another planned site, with resumption contingent on LVV's ruling; the duration of the permitting process cannot currently be estimated. Google said it will fully cooperate with the investigation to ensure construction compliance. In recent years, Finland has become a major destination for European data center investment, thanks to its cool climate, abundant low-carbon electricity, and supportive AI policies—along with its sparse population and low levels of opposition to expansion. Finland's national grid operator estimates that if all agreed grid connection projects materialize, total electricity consumption could surge by up to 40% in the coming years. Google's investments in Finland also cover grid upgrades, clean energy, and battery storage projects. Finland's Prime Minister has publicly backed the plan, saying it will boost the economy while downplaying concerns about energy consumption and rising electricity prices.