www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/energetically_wrong.html
Printer Friendly Version Energetically Wrong September 12, 2008 Palin says Alaska supplies 20 percent of US energy. Summary Palin claims Alaska "produces nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of energy." Alaska did produce 14 percent of all the oil from US wells last year, but that's a far cry from all the "energy" produced in the US Alaska's share of domestic energy production was 35 percent, according to the official figures kept by the US Energy Information Administration. And if by "supply" Palin meant all the energy consumed in the US, and not just produced here, then Alaska's production accounted for only 24 percent. Analysis Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sat down with ABC News' Charlie Gibson for an interview, part of which aired Sept. In the exchange, the Alaska governor misstated a basic fact about her state's energy production: Palin: Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that's with the energy independence that I've been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the US domestic supply of energy, that I worked on as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, overseeing the oil and gas development in our state to produce more for the United States. It's simply untrue that Alaska produces anything close to 20 percent of the US "energy supply," a term that is generally defined as energy consumed. That category includes power produced in the US by nuclear, coal, hydroelectric dams and other means - as well as all the oil imported into the country. Palin would have been correct to say that Alaska produces just over 14 percent of all the oil produced in the US, leaving out imports and leaving out other forms of power.
But Alaskan production accounts for only 48 percent of all the crude oil and petroleum products supplied to the US in 2007, counting both domestic production and imports from other nations.
According to EIA, the total supply was just over 55 billion barrels in 2007. Furthermore, Palin said "energy," not "oil," so she was actually much further off the mark.
Palin didn't make clear whether she was talking about Alaska's share of all the energy produced in the US or all the energy consumed here. John McCain has also has used this inflated, incorrect figure.
Web site of the Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc, a group that says it promotes development of Alaska's natural resources. It states: Alaska Resource Development Council: Alaska's oil and gas industry has produced more than 16 billion barrels of oil and 6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, accounting for an average of 20 percent of the entire nation's domestic production. This falls far short of supporting Palin's sweeping claim, however. It refers only to "oil and gas" production, not total energy. It refers only to production, not total consumption or supply. And the 20 percent figure is an "average" over many years, though the site does not say exactly how many. That makes it very much out of date, because Alaskan oil production has declined sharply in recent years.
Alaskan oil production has dropped 22 percent in the most recent five years alone. And in case you are wondering, Alaska produces even less of the nation's natural gas than it does of its oil.
Alaska accounted for just 19 percent of total US natural gas production during the six months ending June 2008. "One Year Later, Palin Making Progress in Role of Governor," The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
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