Data centre restrictions initiative reaches Finland’s Parliament

An initiative seeking restrictions on data centres has collected the required 50,000 signatures and will proceed to Finland’s Parliament, Yle reports.

Launched on Tuesday, the initiative proposes setting conditions for data centres to connect to the electricity grid and operate.

It also calls for a separate data centre fee to offset environmental harm and consumed resources, including electricity and water.

“The aim of preparing the legislation is to secure sufficient and affordable electricity for households and other industries,” the initiative states.

The initiative was published after Google announced plans to build new data centres in Kajaani, Vaala and Muhos.