Why lie? Why do they think the public is so stupid?
Fact Check: McCain-Palin energy figure inflated
An excerpt:
In the interview, she claimed the state "produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy." McCain, too, has said Palin is "in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply." More recently, Palin modified her claim to "20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of oil and gas."
THE FACTS: The statements are exaggerated, some wildly so, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The most recent figures show Alaska produced 3.4 percent of the nation's total energy output in 2005. The state's largest contribution to that figure was its oil production, which runs about 14 percent of the U.S. total. Alaska contributes about 2 percent of the nation's natural gas production. It produces negligible amounts of coal and renewable energy, and has no nuclear energy.
The only way to get close to the 20 percent figure is to look at Alaska's proven oil reserves, the amount they have determined to be underground and available under current conditions, which amount to 18 percent of the U.S. total.
