Daniel Sanchez

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension

Dr. Sanchez is on entrepreneurial leave from UC Berkeley through May 2023

Daniel L. Sanchez studies engineered biomass & bioenergy systems that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Trained as an engineer and energy systems analyst, Sanchez’s work and engagement spans the academic, nongovernmental, and governmental sectors. As an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, he runs the Carbon Removal Lab, which aims to commercialize sustainable carbon dioxide removal technologies, and supports outreach to policymakers and technologists in California and across the United States.

Prior to joining the faculty of UC Berkeley, Daniel was a AAAS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow serving in the Office of Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). He has previously held positions with the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Green for All, and the California Public Utilities Commission. He holds a PhD and MS from UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group, and a BSE in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Education

Ph.D., Energy and Resources, University of California-Berkeley, 2015
M.S., Energy and Resources, University of California-Berkeley, 2013
B.S.E., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2010

Research Interests / Specializations:

carbon dioxide removal, bioenergy, California forests, climate policy, energy systems modeling

Selected Publications

D.L. Sanchez, N. Johnson, S. McCoy, P.A. Turner, K.J. Mach. “Near-term deployment of carbon capture and storage from biorefineries in the United States” Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 115, 4875-4880 (2018) http://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/115/19/4875.full.pdf.

D.L. Sanchez, D.M. Kammen. “A commercialization strategy for carbon-negative energy” Nature Energy, 1, 1-4 (2016). doi: 10.1038/NENERGY.2015.

D.L. Sanchez, D.S. Callaway. “Optimal scale of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) facilities” Applied Energy (2016) doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.02.134

D.L. Sanchez, J.H. Nelson, J. Johnston, A. Mileva, D. Kammen. “Biomass enables the transition to a carbon-negative power system across western North America.” Nature Climate Change, 5, 230–234 (2015).

E. Baik, D.L. Sanchez, et al. “Geospatial Analysis of the Near-Term Technical Potential for BECCS in the U.S.” Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, 115, 3290-3295 (2018).

P.A. Turner, C.B. Field, D.B. Lobell, D.L. Sanchez, K.J. Mach. “Unprecedented rates of land-use transformation in modeled climate change mitigation pathways” Nature Sustainability, 1, 240-245 (2018).

S.J. Davis et al. (with over 30 authors) “Providing energy services without net addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere” Science (2018). http://science.sciencemag.org/node/711939.full