Meet The Forum Team: Emily Khym
As a senior at Yale College majoring in Political Science with a certificate in Energy Studies, Emily Khym has learned a great deal about the various challenges faced in the global energy transition. She is particularly interested in the intersection between energy, finance, and public policy. It was during a class on green energy systems she took as a sophomore that made her realize the technical solutions to the energy system are there, but the policy and financial support required to execute these solutions is lagging. This realization has shaped the experiences Khym has pursued both on and off campus.
Calling Honolulu, Hawaii home, Khym has thought a great deal about Hawaii's island grid system. During a gap semester she researched different state policies that impacted the electric grid and sought out policy solutions that could mitigate grid failures. As an island state, Hawaii’s grid is particularly prone to extreme weather events and heat. Back on campus, Khym continued her work in the energy space by founding the Renewable Futures Alliance, an undergraduate organization that advocates for energy technologies by promoting impactful legislation in energy and environmental policy.
As president of the Renewable Futures Alliance, Khym thinks a lot about promising energy solutions and how to apply them within the New Haven community. Currently, the alliance is focusing on thermal energy networks and what the future of thermal energy in Connecticut looks like. In fact, this is the energy technology that Khym is presently most excited about. Thermal energy networks are neighborhood-scale systems that provide efficient heating, cooling, and domestic hot water via closed loops of underground, water-filled pipes running between multiple buildings. “From a technical perspective, thermal energy networks work and it has been proven that they can work on a large scale. Stakeholders benefit from lower energy bills, and there are zero emissions,” Khym says. This intersection of economic benefits and technological success makes a compelling argument for the technology.
Khym’s interest in thermal energy networks eventually led her to HEET, a Massachusetts nonprofit with a mission to modernize energy infrastructure via networked geothermal. As an intern at HEET, Khym supported the organization’s policy team. Here she was able to work on the first-ever geothermal rate case. This experience only deepened Khym’s passion for ensuring promising energy tech gets deployed at scale.
As she looks to graduate in December 2027, Khym is considering what professional path she will pursue to best support the energy transition. Currently, she is interested in the energy law sphere. Wherever she lands, she is sure to continue making a meaningful impact both within her community and the greater world.