About
Biography
Gabe Chan is an associate professor at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs in the Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) area. In his research and engagement, Gabe seeks to support policy and institutions for a more rapid and equitable energy transition in domains such as distributed energy resource deployment, consumer-owned electric utilities, community solar, and innovation. Gabe is the Co-Director of the Center for Science Technology, and Environmental Policy and the Electric Cooperative Innovation Center.
Education
PhD in Public Policy (Harvard University, 2015)
BS in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)
BS in Political Science (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009)
Recent Publications
Chan, G., Taylor, K., Carley, S., Grimley, M., Schuster, E. & Kincaid, C. (2023). Hoosier Energy Integrated Planning Initiative: Final Report.
Grimley, M. & Chan, G. (2023). “Cooperative is an oxymoron!”: A polycentric energy transition perspective on distributed energy deployment in the Upper Midwestern United States, Energy Policy, 172,
Heeter, J., Xu, K., Grimley, M., Chan, G. & Dalecki, E. (2022). Status of State Community Solar Program Caps.
Grimley, M., Shastry, V., Kânoğlu-Özkan, D. G., Blevins, E., Beck, A. L., Chan, G. & Rai (2022). The grassroots are always greener: Community-based organizations as innovators of shared solar energy in the United States, Energy Research and Social Science, 90,
Chan, G. & Grimley, M. (21 October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2022). How two Minnesota cooperatives agreed to a new relationship to prepare for the future grid. Utility Dive:
Carruthers, C., Edstrom, B., Levinson-Falk, A., Hoeger, H., Frank, M., Chan, G., Blevins, E., Muellman, K. & DenHerder-Thomas, T. (2022). Strategies for Equitable Energy Efficiency Program Design: A Toolkit for Two High-Priority Populations in the Twin Cities: Black Homeowners and Property Owners Renting to Latinx Households.
Chan, G., Harrington, E. & Berger, J. (2022). Scaling Weatherization in Minnesota: Opportunities and Challenges from a Landscape Analysis and Case Study Analysis.
Chan, G., Grimley, M., Stallman, J., Anderson, J. & Teklinski, M. (2022). Planning for Equitable Solar Deployment with Electric Cooperatives.
Lenhart, S., Chan, G., Grimley, M. & Wilson, E. (2021). Comparing and Contrasting the Institutional Relationships, Regulatory Frameworks, and Energy System Governance of European and U.S. Electric Cooperatives. In Handbook of Energy Democracy. Routledge:
Sun, B., Kolesnikov, S., Goldstein, A. & Chan, G. (2020). A Dynamic Approach for Identifying Technological Breakthroughs with an Application in Solar Photovoltaics, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 165,
Matisoff, D., Beppler, Chan, G. & Carley, S. (2020). A Review of Barriers in Implementing Dynamic Electricity Pricing to Achieve Cost-Causality, Environmental Research Letters, 15,
Lenhart, S., Chan, G., Forsberg, L., Grimley, M. & Wilson, E. (2020). Municipal Utilities and Electric Cooperatives in the United States: Interpretive Frames, Strategic Actions, and Place-Specific Transitions, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 36, 17-33
Zhang, H., Qiu, Y., Chan, G., Wang, S., Zhou, D. & Ren, X. (2020). Solar Photovoltaic Interventions Have Reduced Rural Poverty in China, Nature Communications, 11(1969),
Beck, A., Chan, G., Rai, V., Grimley, M., Cornwell, J., Jones, M., Shastry, V., Kanoglu, D., Blevins, E., Matos, C., Smith, K., Lee, M. & Funkhouser, E. (2020). Scaling Community Solar in Texas: Barriers, Strategies, and Roadmap.
Chan, G., Lenhart, S., Forsberg, L., Grimley, M. & Wilson, E. (2019). Barriers and Opportunities for Distributed Energy Resources in Minnesota’s Municipal Utilities and Electric Cooperatives.
Chan, G., Morgan, J. & Streitz, R. (2019). Solar for Humanity: Nonprofit Solar Partnerships with Habitat for Humanity.
Chan, G., Forsberg, L. & Grimley, M. (20 December 2018). After Xcel Energy’s zero-carbon pledge, let’s make sure the public benefits. MinnPost:
Chan, G., Stavins, R. & Zou, J. (2018). International Climate Change Policy, Annual Review of Resource Economics, 10, 335-360
Chan, G., Grimley, M., Arnold, E., Evans, I., Herbers, J., Hoffman, M., Ihde, B., Mazumder, P., Morgan, J., Neuman, N. & Streitz, R. (2018). Community Shared Solar in Minnesota: Learning from the First 300 Megawatts.
Huenteler, J., Tang, T., Chan, G. & Diaz Anadon, L. (2018). Why Is China’s Wind Power Generation Not Living Up to Its Potential?, Environmental Research Letters, 13(4),
Chan, G. & Herbers, J. (30 January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2018). Solar tariffs more likely to cut than protect jobs. Star Tribune:
News and Media
Humphrey School News
'Surreal' Experience for UMN Students Who Were in Puerto Rico During Earthquakes
Humphrey School Collaborates with Law, Carlson Schools to Teach Energy and the Environment
Read more Humphrey School news
In the Media
3 State Battles Could Swing Zero-Carbon Energy Plans
E&E News, 11-02-2020The Value of Rooftop Solar Power in Michigan: 24 Cents per kWh
Clean Technica, 08-08-2020Utility lobbying and policy inattention hinder community solar, study finds
Energy News Network, 06-16-2020Minnesota researcher studies how rural co-ops can build solar capacity
Energy News Network, 04-20-2020When Big Tech Goes Green, Taxpayers Help Foot the Bill
Bloomberg, 02-28-2020Headshot