Commissioner Scott got his undergraduate degree, in math and philosophy, from the University of California, Berkeley. His graduate work focused on energy and natural resource economics; he received two Masters’ degrees and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Commissioner Scott’s first job in Alaska was as chief Economist at the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. He spent twelve years at the Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources as a Commercial Analyst, Petroleum Investment Manager, and Commercial Manager, working to maximize state benefits from its oil and gas ownership. From 2012 to 2015, while at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, he largely focused on electric utilities and challenges to project development and system innovation. Starting in 2016, he served as Director of Programs and Policy at the Anchorage Municipal Light and Power Department.