Chris Hemschot ’93 never expected to become an expert in the energy industry. Raised in Central New Jersey with his siblings by loving parents, he came from humble beginnings. When it was time to consider colleges, he knew he wanted to stay relatively close to home and attend a school that offered the scholarships he needed.
Finding the Right Path
When Hemschot arrived at Lehigh, he began as an engineering major — without fully understanding what that entailed. Ironically, electrical engineering ultimately became the tipping point that steered him away from the program, even as it set the foundation for his future in the electricity industry. Halfway through his engineering degree, with finances too tight to extend into a fifth year, Hemschot followed the advice of a friend and pivoted to geology, as he could meet the prerequisites and complete the program in four years.
While the discipline aligned with his interests, Hemschot quickly realized that job opportunities in the field didn’t appeal to him. Instead, he took a leap into bond trading.
“I got lucky, and I’m grateful,” Hemschot says. “Growing up in the Northeast helped, especially since most finance opportunities were in New York. A family friend was in a significant position at a bank on the bond trading floor, and I was able to beg my way into an entry-level role. In those kinds of positions, you sink or swim. You have to find your way.”
An Unexpected Turn to Energy
Hemschot didn’t just swim — he plunged into the industry with purpose. Starting as an assistant on a Wall Street bank’s government bond trading desk, he absorbed everything he could about how the industry operated.
Over time, another opportunity emerged alongside a major shift in the power market, as energy moved to a deregulated system with the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Companies were eager to hire individuals with relevant experience, and Hemschot’s background in trading and operations made him a strong candidate.
“I remember interviewing on the floor with the head of a new trading firm that had spun off from the regulated utility Southern Company. They asked what salary I wanted,” he says. “I thought that doubling my current salary would be incredible money. They gave it to me immediately. I didn’t realize how badly I lowballed myself.” He adds with a laugh, “That was my first bad trade.”
Energy trading proved more tangible and engaging for Hemschot, and he thrived in the role. He quickly learned the intricacies of buying and selling energy as a commodity, along with the constant volatility of the market. As his understanding deepened, he went on to run multiple trading desks, supporting regional power markets and excelling in increasingly complex roles.
Eventually, Hemschot ventured into entrepreneurship, launching his own business focused on predictive algorithms for congestion trading. When that chapter came to a close, he leveraged his expertise to move into the development side of the energy industry.
Creating Impact Through Innovation
“It’s fulfilling to work in a role that directly impacts people,” he says. “People know exactly how much they pay for gas and electricity; it affects them every day. When someone flips a light switch, that electron is produced at the same time that it’s consumed. So little energy is stored, and that’s what makes it so complicated. On the development side, we’re trying to figure out the best generation options, the fairest solutions, and the strongest economic opportunities. There’s a clear line of impact on people and communities.”
Hemschot became involved with the Center for Advancing Community Electrification Solutions (ACES) in October 2025, drawn to its mission of connecting academic research with real-world energy challenges. When the center hosted a conference focused on data centers, he was eager to participate, offering practical insight earned by decades in the industry. For Hemschot, ACES represents the kind of collaboration needed to move the energy sector forward, bringing together data, expertise, and innovation to create solutions that are economically sound and community focused.
“Try and find the right balance between passion and talent,” he says. “I wouldn’t have recognized how different bond trading was from energy at the time. But I learned something at every stage of my career, and I’ve been able to look back and grow because of it. Each experience prepared me for the next, even if I couldn’t see it then.”
Today, Hemschot lives in Texas with his family and serves as vice president of Tenaska, where he continues to help shape the future of energy development. His work, like his involvement with ACES, centers on the same throughline: creating practical, forward-thinking energy solutions that people and communities rely on every day.
On family hikes, he finds moments to put his geology background to use, often alongside his daughter, who is pursuing a degree in environmental science — a reminder that every chapter of his journey shaped him into the accomplished professional he is today.
