Conditions Must Be Set for Electricity Use by Data Centers

Helsingin Sanomat is closely monitoring the evolving energy landscape in Finland, where our nation's clean and affordable electricity is increasingly recognized as a strategic asset. This valuable resource is now a point of competition, with significant players like data centers vying for access. As decisions are made regarding these large energy consumers, it is crucial to consider not just their operational needs but also the terms of their electricity usage and the tangible benefits they bring to our society. This discussion is intrinsically linked to the broader concepts of energy justice and energy poverty, issues that directly impact Finnish households.

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It is difficult to consider fair the situation where new large electricity consumers, such as data centers, can utilize clean electricity without clear responsibility for building new production and maintaining the power system's capacity.

While Finland possesses substantial potential for increasing electricity production through wind and solar power, the real challenges lie in the synchronization of new production with new consumption, and in determining who bears the cost of building and maintaining the electricity system's capacity. It is difficult to justify a system where new, large-scale consumers like data centers can leverage our clean energy without a clear commitment to developing new production sources or ensuring grid stability. The resulting impact on market prices, especially in the short term, is likely to be significant and will inevitably be passed on to other electricity users, including vulnerable households.

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7–15 percent of Finns can be defined as energy poor.

Recent research indicates that a substantial portion of Finns, between 7 and 15 percent, are experiencing energy poverty. This situation is particularly acute for households relying on electric heating, where rising prices and increased volatility in electricity costs create immense hardship. Many lack the financial means or technical options to switch heating systems or adapt their consumption patterns to fluctuating market prices. Helsingin Sanomat believes that the state's role extends beyond merely facilitating investment; it must also set the conditions for the use of strategic resources like our electricity. Our clean energy should not be distributed on the terms of new entrants alone but managed with conditions that ensure both efficiency and fairness for all Finns.

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Our clean electricity is not a resource to be distributed on the terms of those arriving; it is a strategic asset for which conditions must be set that ensure both efficiency and fairness.