Reagan Remoes Solar Panels

The white house itself once harvested the power of the sun.

Reagan remoes solar panels.

Barry commoner a distinguished scientist and strong solar advocate was surprised and troubled by the smallness of both the proposed solar research budget and expected results he wanted to see the data from the national science foundation that supported the atomic energy commission s dismal view of the future of solar power especially since solar subpanel ix the scientific panel. The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day. In 1979 jimmy carter in a forward looking move installed solar panels in the roof of the white house. In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house.

Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse. In 1986 when the price of energy was temporarily cheaper and americans minds were less focused on environmental issues president reagan ordered the panels removed from the white house roof. Dirck halstead getty images. 365 days a year 24 year that s 294 336 kwh of dirty energy bought and burned because of one bad decision by ronald reagan.

In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. Over the last 40 years solar panels have been installed and removed on the white house under three different presidents starting with jimmy carter installing panels and reagan removing them less than 10 years later. It was clear reagan had a completely different take on energy consumption. President ronald reagan took office in 1981 and the solar panels were removed during his administration.

The tumultuous saga of solar panels on the white house. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency. On june 20 1979 the carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun s rays and use them to heat water. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary.