Morris, JamesThompson, JonathanRyden, Elisabeth2022-05-1120222022-05-102022Ryden, Elisabeth. 2022. Analysis of Solar Power Land Use in Massachusetts through the Lens of Environmental Justice. Master's thesis, Harvard University Division of Continuing Education.29165413https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37371550The need to mitigate the impacts of climate change and increase energy security has driven the transition from carbon-intensive fuels to renewable energy sources. Among possible options for renewable energy sources, solar energy is becoming a promising technology. In order to make solar arrays feasible for supplying energy to a growing population, large areas of land are required for sun capture. Using data from the U.S. Census, in combination with a remotely-sensed estimation of new solar arrays in Massachusetts, we investigated the relationship between the distribution of utility-scale solar and four dimensions of environmental justice: people of color, language isolation, household income, and educational attainment. We found that land value is not a significant predictor of the percentage of the census tract covered by a utility-scale solar array in urban tracts. Of urban tracts that contain a utility-scale solar array, all environmental justice variables are significant predictors of the percentage of tract coverage by utility-scale solar arrays. However, there is no evidence of environmental justice factors influencing the presence of utility-scale solar arrays in non-urban tracts.application/pdfenenvironmental justiceMassachusettssolarBiologyThesis or Dissertation2022-05-11