Ymbar I. Polanco Pino

Policy Fellow

Conducts techno-economic and policy research on AI infrastructure expansion, evaluating electricity constraints, emerging energy technologies, and the implications for AI compute deployment, scalability, and investment. Builds quantitative models for power delivery timelines, infrastructure costs, reliability, financing risks, and deployment strategies for 50 to 500 MW AI data center opportunities.

Analyzes 200+ companies across the AI infrastructure ecosystem including energy startups, hyperscalers, neocloud providers, utilities, and technology developers, to identify emerging innovations and market opportunities. Investigates how grid constraints, capital allocation, regulatory frameworks, and environmental impacts shape operational resilience and long-term growth.

Research Assistant

Dissertation research on the governance of AI data center infrastructure. Analyzes how the distributional costs and benefits of siting decisions are decided across planning, permitting, utility, and economic development processes, and whose claims are recognized as legitimate within them. Constructs an original evidence base from gray literature, public and regulatory records, and community accounts that conventional reviews overlook, applying mixed methods to interpret fragmentary and competing sources.

Supports NSF-funded K–12 engineering education projects, including Community Tech Press, where 140+ Somerville 6th graders presented climate change and climate technology journalism. Contributes to EMBRACE research in the Dominican Republic by collecting and analyzing data and revising undergraduate-led teaching materials for multilingual students. Mentors undergraduate researchers in curriculum development, qualitative analysis, teaching-material revision, and conference preparation.

Environmental & Climate Justice Lead

Inaugural holder of the role, building MethaneSAT's first framework for turning open satellite methane data into decision-useful guidance for governments, partner organizations, educators, and the public.

Authored an internal white paper on public data access, consent, and transparency that informed the EDF and See Change Institute Community Engagement Research Report. Designed the MethaneSAT 101 materials that made a technical remote-sensing dataset usable for non-specialist decision-makers.

Explorer Community Intern

Developed interactive story maps and synthesized Meridian report content for community resources, highlighting project successes. Organized and facilitated virtual events, curated media content, and evaluated engagement initiatives for the Explorer Community.

Instructor

Developed and taught curriculum for chemical and environmental engineering courses. Led a cluster of students by providing guidance and mentorship, and worked with the instructional team to support participant wellbeing and success.

Economist Researcher

Investigated how the benefits of federal energy-efficiency and decarbonization investments are distributed across communities, developing an analytical framework that integrates quantitative energy analysis, economics, and distributional equity. Presented findings at the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office Peer Review, translating technical research, uncertainty, and policy implications for federal researchers and decision-makers.

Helped establish community-based pilot projects in Aurora, CO and Atlanta, GA that remain active today, turning the building-efficiency targeting methodology into on-the-ground efforts that help under-resourced communities secure energy investments.

Aerospace Engineer Researcher

Researched the feasibility of neutralizing a spacecraft's electric propulsion system using ion and electron emissions. Analyzed the efficacy of an ionic-liquid electrospray thruster emitting negative ions for the propulsion of a small spacecraft in a low-Earth orbit.

Aerospace Engineer Researcher

Analyzed water droplet formation and condensation, heat flux, and dynamics in a zero-gravity environment. Processed flight data, controlled computational and electrical systems of experimental apparatus during flight, and improved mechanical components.