The research I will present describes an analysis of various methods of energy generation, including renewables, coal, and nuclear, in the Boston, MA region, and their immediate environmental impact between 2000 and 2020. Previous studies have shown the connection between albedo, urban heat islands (UHIs), and vegetation health and infrastructure and environmental health, but my presentation would provide important context regarding the added impact variable of energy production.

Energy generation infrastructure provides critical insight into urban and environmental changes. Landsat satellite imagery and data from MassGIS were used to determine the differences between each energy form.

Completing this study requires a comparison of mapping imagery and data to emphasize the impact differences each method of energy generation exhibits. Results from this study could be utilized to project future environmental health (measured via vegetation health, UHI, etc.) resulting from different energy sources and provide insight on future energy production and viability.