Idaho Power's War on Solar, pt 2 (Scary Pie Charts)

Idaho Power's recent full page attack ad in the Idaho Statesman deserves more attention than it's getting. Their comical letter at the top of the ad utilizing cheap scare tactics was troubling enough, but now let's review the graph at the bottom meant to inflame and scare ratepayers further...

Here's the graph.

Idaho Power's Scary Pie Charts from their Solar Attack Ad appearing in the Idaho Statesman Feb 1, 2015

Hmm.  What's the problem?  We have graphs, figures and even fine print. Seems reasonable right?  But what's that HUGE yellow scary 2016 solar pie to the right? Why, it represents the overpriced PURPA power that Idaho Power is fighting against (for you!). OMG, it's nearly as big as the entire existing renewable portfolio, including hydropower dams, wind, geothermal and other renewables!  We all know hydropower is massive in Idaho, and now out of nowhere, solar is suddenly going to be bigger than hydro?  If you concluded (understandably) that solar is simply getting out of control, then Idaho Power is getting exactly what they want.

It sure is scary, but is it accurate? NO.

Idaho Power's graphic WILDLY overstates the actual size of the 2016 incremental solar "pie". In fact, Idaho Power overstates the "solar pie" by at least 3X.

I know, boring numbers... but accuracy matters, and these images were designed a certain way for a reason. The yellow pie has an area that is 68.5% the size of the blue renewable pie, which represents 2039 MW of nameplate capacity. If the pie were accurate, it would have to be 1386 MW of 2016 solar, not 461 MW. If we want to go further into the numbers, obviously solar nameplate capacity is not equal to, for example, a coal plant's nameplate capacity because solar only works during the daytime. So the yellow graph should be cut by 2/3 (because "math" tells us it's 3x too big) and then probably again by at least 3/4 (because solar only works during the daylight hours). But then it would only be a tiny yellow speck, and not very scary.

I encourage Idaho Power to come clean on this ad (or to provide a detailed analysis outlining why the yellow pie is 68.5% of the blue pie). A public apology printed as a full page Idaho Statesman ad (just like the original... on Sunday, in color, and as big as the original deception) would be a start.  The apology should include a full-sized copy of the original graphic beside a corrected full-sized graphic, so that the public can fully appreciate the magnitude of the deception.

But I won't hold my breath.