ACEP Intern Spotlight: Sam Tappen

There are a number of interns working for ACEP this summer.  To highlight them and their work ACEP will be presenting a short synopsis weekly on each throughout the summer in a series titled the “ACEP Intern Spotlight.”

Sam Tappen

Education | University of Alaska Fairbanks

Field of Study | Natural Resources and Applied Economics

Focus of Study with ACEP | Diesel Pricing Project – Sam is working with Antony Scott on ACEP's Rural Fuel Pricing Project.  In the study, he is creating a series of econometric models to reveal the price formation of diesel used for electricity generation throughout Alaska.  This should be very useful for future policy and it will also be an invaluable tool for decision-makers in rural communities who are tasked with estimating their annual fuel costs.  Sam’s involvement in this project has afforded him an exhaustive understanding of fuel distribution logistics in Alaska, state regulation on electric utilites participating in the Power Cost Equalization program, and the difference that modern infrastructure makes on generation costs in diesel-fueled communities.

Post-Graduation Aspirations | After graduation, Sam plans to stay in Alaska and start a career in the oil and gas industry.  His ultimate goal is to help shape future policy to ensure the State's hydrocarbon resources are brought to market and managed responsibly.

Photo: Sam Tappen. Photo courtesy M. Cassino, ACEP/UAF.