17 April 2012

Power Lies

Take a look at this graphic:

It supposedly shows that although the average cost of a barrel of oil has dropped substantially, the average cost We pay per kilowatt-hour of electricity has gone up--substantially--and that Our average electric bill has gone up because "We are paying for The Larva's (corrupt) friends." That last is based on several prominent statehood party (the Legion of Fools) members that have been caught stealing electricity.

Now, has the average price per oil barrel dropped? Well, that's not what the graphic states. It says that the price of a barrel of oil was $147.00 in June 2008, not an average, but a single data point. The graphic states that oil has averaged $80.58 in 2012, but what's the data source? CNN Money has oil averaging over $102.00 a barrel in 2012, while Index Mundi has it averaging $112.50 a barrel (Jan-Mar 2012). Now Index Mundi does factor in oil futures, but even so, how is this data compatible with "$80.58" as an average oil barrel price in 2012?

It isn't. Always remember: Lies, damn lies and statistics. If you factor in the oil plunge in 2009, when oil was trading at between $35.00 and $82.00 a barrel, then--and only then--could anyone say that oil was "averaging" $80.58, but never in 2012. The fact is that oil is trading, which means being bought and sold, at well over $100 a barrel, so far in 2012.

Now, despite the falsity, does this mean We are paying "the most expensive electricity in the world"?

Here are the average residential rates across the 50 States in 2009-2010, according to ElectricChoice.com:



Why did I pick 2009-2010? So you can compare it to the 2008 rate quoted in the graphic. Note how Puerto Rico was paying 18.26¢ while Hawaii was paying...24.13¢.

Oops. We weren't even the most expensive electricity in the U.S. of part of A., so forget "in the world."

What about 2012? From the U.S. Energy Information Administration, click and scroll down to "Pacific NonContiguous," which means Alaska and Hawaii and you'll see that in January 2012, Hawaiians were paying...gasp!...33.10¢ per kilowatt-hour.

And folks, 33.10¢ is more than 28.58¢, isn't it? (Let Me anticipate the commonwealthers' puke: oil went up in price between January and February 2012 so it's very doubtful that the Hawaiian rate went down in February, okay? Okay.)

So, two claims down the toilet for being ridiculous falsifications. The third states that the average electric bill rose from $156.00 in 2008 to $215.00 in 2012. Now first of all, round numbers in this context are suspicious. Second, the graphic claims that the average family uses 800 kWh in both years. But given the increased rate, wouldn't the average family use less electricity? Maybe not, but the graphic doesn't give a damn about that, obviously.

Third, the average electric bill can be easily calculated, using the data the graphic itself provides:

2008:  800 kWh X 18.26¢ per kWh = $146.08
2012:   800 kWh X 28.58¢ per kWh = $228.64

Uh, watt? I mean, what? Yes, I'm aware that there are other fees and charges in My electric, but so are the people who put this crappy graphic together. If they aren't, then what the hell are they doing putting it together in the first place?

Well obviously, they are trying to unleash a political hatchet job against The Larva. And given that the average voter has the IQ of a washing machine, they might succeed. Stupid is as stupid does.

But here's what pisses Me off: This offensively-stupid OfensivaPopular asswipe sheet takes a potentially-legitimate attack against the ineffectiveness and outright corruption of Our (non)governor's crappy term and dulls it to the point of abject uselessness...for anyone who thinks.

This is what the retarded hacks at (In)OfensivaPopular threw away:

1) The outright manipulation of the electric rate by this (non)administration, desperately trying to cover debts, theft and incompetence.
2) The serial thievery by high-ranking Cabinet members and statehood party officials, with one of the thieves being a high-ranking Electric Power Authority executive director.
3) The outright lies by The Larva in "doing something about the cost of electricity," the very fucking point of this stupid graphic.

You got it: what I'm saying is that I want My campaign ads and diatribes to be fact-based, reasoned and at the very least, goddammit, internally consistent. Is that too much to ask? Powerful discussions rather than power lies?

Of course it is. Stupidity rules when it comes to politics and political campaigns, as exhibited above.


The Jenius Has Spoken.

5 comments:

Beato said...

good find. its good to be fair and consistent in our arguments. both parties forget that, that is why they have no credibility whatsoever.
hope the level of debate raises during the election. so far it is below mud levels.

Kofla Olivieri said...

Politicians don't care about the facts, their jobs is to lie, deceive and manipulate their citizens so they could continue raping us.

Ms. Conciencia said...

A pair of things I NEED to tell you

1. This week, someone who works at the Solar heaters and stuff industry told me that the cost of kW per hour was 35 cents.

2. He also told me that the AEE didn't want anyone to be independent from them, so that is WHY if you make a solar cell system for your house to get OUT of the stupid system, the government makes YOU to pay, anyways. And they don't buy your extra energy. They keep it and you NEVER receive help from them.

After all, the system wants to monopolize EVERYTHING. They really want to fuck up the working people.

GCSchmidt said...

I believe kWh rates vary, from residential, commercial and industrial to off-peak and peak rates, so 35 cents per kWh is probably a current rate and might not even be the highest rate.

As for the Power Authority, they have been under executive order for 11 YEARS to come up with a buy-back plan (purchasing electricity from independent producers) and have yet to get even one paragraph down. The AEE is a monopoly, with a powerful union and a role in Our government as cash cow (bonds, rates, salaries, contracts, etc.) The AEE doesn't want to give up anything, and as We have learned about power (metaphorically), those who have it don't give it up willingly.

Beato said...

net metering exists. however you musdt still be connected to the grid. that means you still pay the ajuste de combustible.
http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=PR02R&re=1&ee=1
however, if your solar or aeolic resource becomes large enough you could eventually drop down you connection. sny excess electricity would then need to be stored in a capacitor bank or somthing...
let us see how the incentives given to solar and aeolic system works out with the medium and large projects funded by the grants...
i am certain we won't see a penny of that benefit.