Biography
Daniel S. Cohan, Ph.D., is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, where he teaches courses on atmospheric science, and energy and the environment. His research specializes in the development of photochemical models and their application to air quality management and the impacts of energy use on air quality and climate. He received a B.A. in applied mathematics from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in atmospheric chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology, and served as a Fulbright Scholar to Australia. Cohan is a recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award and a member of the NASA Air Quality Applied Sciences Team.
Contact at [email protected] or 713-348-5129.
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How Investments Can Boost ERCOT Reliability and Cut Emissions
After high-profile outages in 2021, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has strengthened grid reliability by leveraging both new and traditional energy sources. This issue brief from the Center for Energy Studies by Daniel S. Cohan and Chen Chen finds that combining solar, wind, batteries, and natural gas power — along with investment in transmission, storage, and energy efficiency — is the most effective way to meet rising demand while reducing emissions.
Daniel S. Cohan, Chen Chen October 21, 2025
Prioritize Reforms to Accelerate the Shift to Clean Electricity
The U.S. needs streamlined approval processes and investments in transmission infrastructure to eliminate the backlog of pending clean electricity projects, satisfy the growing demand for electricity, and meet federal and state climate goals, writes faculty scholar Daniel S. Cohan.
Daniel S. Cohan September 17, 2024
Revamping the Texas Power Grid: Insights from Rice University’s Electricity Research
How can Texas secure an affordable, sustainable, and reliable power supply for all its citizens? This report explores key insights from research conducted at Rice University.
Daniel S. Cohan, James Doss-Gollin November 10, 2023