The Radioactive Data City of Boquete, Panama

This "Futures Studies" project details the urban futures of thousands of cities across the globe as though they've somehow overcome all the grave environmental challenges our age and grown to become super Green and super-ecofriendly. This month, we highlight the nuclear future of Boquete, Panama.

As the 2020s come and go, and as major tech companies like Google and Amazon continue to develop powerful AI technologies, they face an increasing demand for energy-hungry data centers. To meet this demand, some companies have turned to nuclear-powered data centers, especially in remote areas across the USA.

These nuclear installations promise to provide stable, consistent, high-density energy, but their location near small towns sparks significant controversy. The locals -- fearing nuclear mishaps, leaks, and accidents -- and then actually suffering from a few such incidents (that contaminate local waterways, parkways and schoolyards) grow increasingly vocal in their opposition. In the mid-21st century, this forces the tech giants to rethink their strategies, eventually driving them to seek alternative nuclear energy sources in countries where regulations are less stringent, and the populations lacks the means for democratic resistance.

Panama becomes one such destination. With its developing infrastructure and limited environmental laws, the country offers a tempting opportunity for setting up nuclear-powered data centers. However, even in Panama, the urban population resists the idea of dangerous nuclear reactors located nearby. Cities like Panama City and Colón reject these installations outright, pushing the companies to consider more remote locations.

Boquete, a small isolated town nestled in the tropical mountains of Panama, becomes the chosen site. With few people willing to live near a potential source of escaping radioactivity, Boquete's untouched wilderness offers the perfect location for a nuclear-energised data center. The futuristic architecture of the facility, with towering structures perched on cliffs surrounded by lush greenery, becomes a paradoxical blend of nature and advanced technology.

Despite the risks, the remoteness of the area turns Boquete into a wildlife refuge, a place where tropical flora and fauna can thrive undisturbed—except for the potential hazard of radiation leaks. Ironically, no one visits this thriving wildlife haven due to the looming dangers of radioactivity. The very isolation that made Boquete suitable for the data center becomes its curse, a symbol of progress at nature's cost.