Reagan Remoes Solar Panels

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

Reagan remoes solar panels.

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. 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. Multiply by reagan s 32 solar panels and you get 33 6 kwh of clean energy every day for free. On june 20 1979 the carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun s rays and use them to heat water.

President ronald reagan took office in 1981 and the solar panels were removed during his administration. 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. The tumultuous saga of solar panels on the white house. In 1986 ronald reagan removed the solar panels installed by jimmy carter from the white house.

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. Author natalie goldstein wrote in global warming. Reagan s political philosophy viewed the free market as the best arbiter of what was good for the country. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency.

The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary. Dirck halstead getty images. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse.